Miraculous: The true story of Ladybug and Chat Noir
by MaggiesHeartLove
Summary: Marinette is the new girl at school, struggling not only how to fit in, but also dealing with a tragic past. Adrien is a wealthy boy who has everything, except the freedom to be himself. Two completely different strangers with seemingly nothing in common, only to be brought together for a common cause. AU story, based on the Origin episode
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my very first Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction, so I'm a little nervous on how it will turn out. For those of you in the MLB fandom who don't' know me, I'm mostly known for writing MLP/Legend of Korra inspired fanfics. My most popular ones are The Little Pony Legend and A new Kind of Fairytale, both of which are my own renditions/remakes of the Legend of Korra series. The first being a crossover with My Little Pony.**

 **So, this will also be a remake of an already existing material, but with my own little spin on it. Just informing you so you can at least be prepared for what may come along.**

 **And, for those of you who already know of my stories…sorry for being repetitive. Anyway, hope you guys like it and constructive criticism is welcome.**

 ***(~)***

 _ **John 16:32-33~**_

 _Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."_

*(~)*

 **The Rise of new heroes**

 _Centuries ago, during a time long forgotten but to a few, there existed magical jewels, created by an unknown force. Each of the seven jewels granted its wielder incredible powers, corresponding to the respected animal the jewels represented._

 _The Fox._

 _The Turtle._

 _The Butterfly._

 _The Bee._

 _The peacock._

 _The Ladybug._

 _And the Black Cat._

 _These incredible jewels were known as The Miraculous._

 _Throughout history, heroes used these jewels for the good of humanity. As powerful as these jewels are, there are only two which are the most powerful. The Ladybug earrings, which granted the power to create anything. And the Black Cat's ring, which granted the power to destroy anything. Legend has it, that if anyone managed to control both of the jewels at the same time, they wool obtain absolute power. This power can be used for anything. It can either save the world itself or…destroy it. The possibilities are limitless._

 _For this reason, only those with the purest of hearts can obtain the Miraculous jewels, to make certain the two most powerful never fell into the wrong hands._

 _For decades, this was the norm. Until, one day…._

…

His eyes became fogy as a few tears escaped and fell down across his cheek. His finger caressing the image of his beloved, the locket resting on his palm. He longed to be with her once more. To hear her voice, to feel her lips upon his own, to hear her laughter, to see them all be the family they once were. His heart grew harder and harder with each passing day until he found a strange new friend, one who offered to help him during his grief. This new friend had good intentions, but his new companion had other plans.

"I want this absolute power, Nooroo." he said as he closed the locket, hiding the face of his beloved before clenching his fist with the jewel within it. "I want those two Miraculous!"

"But, my friend, no one knows where they are. Even I don't know." said the innocent one. A small creature, light purple in color with a tiny body and slightly larger head with amethyst eyes and light butterfly wings on his back. He was somewhat of a pixie-like creature who floated before his friend.

"I still found _you_ , Nooroo." the man said, the light of the window shinning behind him, his shadow extending across the empty room surrounded by small little white butterflies. His body appeared dark before the creature, further increasing his intimidating appearance. He unclenched his palm and looked down at the pendent with the image of his beloved still inside. His eyes narrowed down at the object. "This Miraculous which you're bonded to, remind me what it allows one to do." he said, his fingers caressing the surface.

"The butterfly's brooch allows you to give a super power to someone and make them your champion by influencing their righteous emotions." Nooroo explained with a hopeful look in his eyes.

The man's lips curled up into an smirk. "Interesting. It can create heroes. So, can it also create…villains as well?"

Nooroo's eyes widened in horror. "But-But my friend, the Miraculous aren't supposed to be used for evil. Surely you can't-"

"Answer me!" the man spatted, causing the pixie like creature to reel back, his wings slightly lowering in dismay as he answered hesitantly.

"Y-yes, sir. It most certainly can, but I wouldn't advice it. You will be harming so many people if you do so."

"I _need_ this absolute power!" the man stomped his expensive looking shoe hard onto the floor, causing several of the butterflies to scatter and fly around the empty room, with only a window as its source of illumination. "You were the one who revealed yourself to me, remember?"

"Yes, but I only wish to help you."

"Then help me. Help me obtain what I most desire."

"I…I can't! I can't hurt anyone!" Nooroo exclaimed, his voice raising a bit though there was still a hint of fear in his tone which did not go unnoticed by the man.

"You have no choice in the matter!" the man yelled, frightening the meek creature all the more. "You choose me, and your Miraculous is now in my possession, therefor I am now _your_ master! Once you choose a wielder, there is no going back." the man said, using the pixie's own words agains him. "You swore you'd help me, and help me you shall. Wether you like it or not. _Have I made myself clear?!_ "

There was nothing more Nooroo could do. He had chosen this man, and once a kwani had chosen its wielder, there is no going back. They were bonded until the man either perished willingly relinquished his Miraculous, which was never unlikely to happen. Nooroo wished he had been wiser in his choice, and now he would face the consequences. The little pixie hung his head in dismay.

"Yes…Master. I am at your service."

With a wicked smile, the place placed the brooch at the center center of his collar. Once he did, a swarm of butterflies surrounded his body from head to toe as he called out his bonded kwami's name and command.

"Nooroo, let the night's wings unfold!"

The poor little kwami sadly sighed and was immediately sucked into the brooch, causing it to glow brightly. Its magenta color illuminated the room, even more so than the outside light, and the butterflies around the man's body glowed as well, morphing his cloths and fulling him with incredible powers. The man could feel the magic coursing through his body, increasing and growing with every breath he took. He felt one with the winged insects around him. He felt one with the Miraculous. He felt like a new man. His heart filled with incredible pride and excitement, reminiscent of a young boy playing with a new toy.

Once the transformation was complete, the butterflies dispersed and the man gazed upon his reflection on the surface of the glass window. He barely recognized himself. And he liked it.

This was his first step to achieving the ultimate power and having his heart's greatest desire come true.

(~)

Another little green kwami was sleeping soundly inside an empty box of matches inside a old phonograph, when suddenly he snapped awake. His body vibrating as if something was amiss. He immediately flew from his napping place and hurried to see his master, who was meditating inside his shop. The man was a short elderly asian man wearing a Hawaiian shirt sitting in a white lotus position with his hands placed together in prayer form. Most other meditators would had their hands on their knees, but he much preferred it this way. He always enjoyed mixing various styles form various cultures, that's one of the reasons he moved to Paris. Something about the city always fascinated him and it was a marvelous way to share his culture with others and learn a thing or two himself.

"Master! Master Fu!" the little kwami shouted, breaking the man's concentration. "Master, forgive me for startling you, but I sensed the Butterfly Miraculous. It's been activated!"

The elderly man's eyes widened in horror at this news. "Are you certain?"

"Yes. I could feel its aura. It's very near, it's somewhere in Paris."

"How can this be? The Butterfly Miraculous was lost."

"Apparently, somebody found it. Or Nooroo choose his own wielder. But, Master, it's aura…it's negative. I sense a deep darkness in this new wielder's heart."

Master Fu sat up straight, his elderly bones slightly cracking as he did. "That pesky little, kwami. He has a good heart, but so easily manipulated."

"What shall we do?" the kwami asked with worry.

"We have to find Nooroo. If his Miraculous is being used poorly, who knows what kind of misfortunes would descend upon the world!"

"Master, you're not suggesting…?"

"Oh, yes I am."

"The little kwami only rolled his eyes. "Here we go again." he said with a sigh.

Master Fu raised his left hand, revealing a bracelet with a turtle shaped emerald, which was the green kwami's miraculous. While Nooroo's was a butterfly, this one was a turtle hence the turtle shell on his back. Master Fu struck a few action posses and cried out, "Wayzz, transfor-Argh!" Master Fu nearly collapsed to the ground, thankfully he managed to balance his fall buy landing on the face of his meditation bed, where his patients would rest while he performed acupuncture.

"Master, please be reasonable." said the green kwami, Wayzz to his elderly friend. "You're far too-"

"I'm still young!" Master Fu protested, "I'm only 186." he said with a grin, to which Wayzz only arched an eyebrow while crossing his little arms. Master Fu sighed as he stood back up. "But, you're right old friend. I won't be able to do this alone anymore."

Master Fu approached his old phonograph, which had two chinese branch dragons on the side of its base. Upon pressing their eyes, they glowered brightly red and a slide opened up with a few buttons. He pressed a few in a specific password and the phonograph slid open, revealing an octagon shaped box which rose upwards. The box was black with a few golden buttons on the side, and a grand designed on its lip, colored bright red.

"It's time for some new heroes."

(~)

 **A/N: Here is the intro. Like I said, it will be a remake of Origins, if it were the very first episode and if there were a few changes made here and there. This is just for fun and it's my first Miraculous Ladybug story, so please be fair with your constructive criticism.**

 **Until then, God bless *kiss kiss***


	2. First day

**First day**

"Marinette! You're going to be late for your first day of school!"

A groan was heard underneath a light pink pillow and a fifteen-year-old girl poked her head. Her blue eyes barely open and her blue/black hair was a tangled mess. The wake up alarm on her phone had been ringing for the past five minutes, but she had tried to repress the sound so she could get a few more minutes of sleep. Sadly, she knew she couldn't keep this up forever. With a loud groan, she placed her hand over her phone, making the alarm sound muffled against her skin and managed to remove the pillow from her head and drag her body out of bed.

"Okay, Mom." he called out from upstairs. Marinette stretched and yawned before walking down to the kitchen, where her mother was waiting for her. Marinette's mother was a lovely chinese woman with short black/blue colored hair and brown eyes, wearing a chinese white shirt and light purple pants with simple black flats. Marinette was a girl of both chinese and french heritage, her father being born in france and having married her mother. Marinette kissed her mother's cheek and sat on the table, preparing her breakfast.

"Excited for you first day at a new school?" her mother asked, trying her best to sound as excited as possible. But Marinette did not share her enthusiasm.

"Remind me again why dad had to move back to Paris?" Marinette said as she prepared her bowl of cereal. "What was so bad about New York?"

Marinette's mother lovingly caressed her daughter's keep. "Honey, we talked about this. This will be a whole new start for us. Your father's taking over his grandparent's old bakery and we get a new house and a new fresh start. Besides, this will be a great chance for you to get more in touch with your roots. Paris is a wonderful place, filled with such beauty and mystery. It's where your father and I first met before we moved to New York."

Marinette wanted to sound happy, she really did, but based on her own experiences with her old school, she wasn't so sure if she would fit in this one.

"Just give it a chance. Who knows, you might make some new friends."

"Not with my rotten luck." Marinette said as she poured the last of her cocoa cereal into her bowl.

"Don't' say that. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Marinette hoped her mother was right. Who knows, maybe this year would be different. And, it wasn't that Paris was such a bad place. It was full of wonder and beauty as her mother said, and it was where her favorite french fashion designer lived so who knows, maybe her luck was about to change. Maybe a fresh start wouldn't be so bad.

Marinette placed the cereal box hard on the table, causing it to shake and a single orange from the fruit bowl rolled out, going over a slice of bread, which leaned next to the bowl and continued its way over the butter knife, which was over the stick of butter itself, before colliding with the milk carton, causing it to fall and our all over the floor. Marinette groaned at her own clumsiness. This kind of stuff never would have happened to Bridget.

Her mother showed mo signs of anger or annoyance, but instead sympathized with her daughter as she cleaned the spilled milk with a mop. "It's alright, accidents happen."

"To me, they happen everyday." Marinette said, sadly taking the spoon and taking a mouthful of the cereal and chewing the sugary substance.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Marinette." her mother said with a bright smile that lit up the room.

Marinette didn't even bother to respond. All her life, she was known as the klutz of her family. No matter who much everybody else tried to sugarcoat it it just never ended. Back at her old school, she used to trip and fall so many times that the students nearly always had their phones at the ready to take a picture. One of which even became a meme for the school until the principal ordered it down and the image was deleted before things got worse. But, the damage was already done.

After breakfast, Marinette got herself dressed in a white shirt which had cherry blossoms on it, pink pants with matching flat shoes. She also had a black jacket over her white shirt and a single pink purse over her shoulder. Her parents were already working at the bakery downstairs. The building also served as their new home, which was beyond gorgeous and one of the perks about living in Paris. Marinette's father, a large but lovable man, hand her a long rectangle box filled with tasty looking cookies for his daughter to take to school.

"Wow, Dad! They're so pretty!" Marinette said, smiling upon seeing the mouth watering treats.

"Just a little something for your first day. I'm sure your new class will love them."

Marinette had no doubt about that. Her father was an incredible chef, as was her mother, and no doubt this would surely help her on her first day of school. Or at least, she hopped. "You're the best!"

"No, _we're_ the best." her father corrected as he ruffled his little girl's hair, which was styled into two pintails. "Thanks to the new logo you designed." her father showed Marinette the drawing of the bakery's new logo she had designed and the family now used it as their official emblem. Marinette was a very talented artist, and fashion designer. While her parents were artists in the kitchen, Marinette was an artists with a sowing machine and a notepad.

Marinette hugged her father, only to accidentally drop the box to which her father managed to catch with his foot and lift it back up for his daughter.

"Oops."

"It's alright. No harm done."

Marinette blushed as she took the box back and her mother handed her her backpack. Marinette kissed both of her parents goodbye until she stopped upon seeing a picture on the wall behind the counter. It was one of Marinette when she was very young, around ten-years-old, sitting beside an older looking woman around twenty three with brown hair and blue eyes like Marinette. She bared a striking resemblance to the young girl in almost every aspect, right down to their noses. She wore a police officer's uniform and hugged the child with all the love in her heart. Her eyes were filled with such kindness and bravery. Marinette's heart sank. One of the hardest things about moving was that they had to move without her.

Bridgett was Marinette's role model, her best friend, her inspiration, her hero, everything. She was the best cop on the force, until the career took away her life. It was a nighttime patrol and her older sister was shot right in the head. It was a devastating loss for the family. It happened no more than two years ago, and even today Marinette still wishes she could see her sister once more. Bridgett was everything Marinette hoped to be. She was fearless, daring and yet so incredibly generous. She placed the needs of others before herself. All Maninette was good for as making messes and sowing cloths. Her sister was a hero, she even earned a metal for her service.

Marinette felt her father's strong grip on her shoulder and allowed him to wipe away a single tear that escaped her eye. "I know. We miss her too." he said before taking the picture and giving it to Marinette. "So you'll know she's still with you." he said in his most loving voice.

Marinette smiled and nodded her head before kissing both her parents once more, placing the photo into her backpack and taking the box of cookies in hand. She ran out the door, embracing the bright Paris city sunshine and air. In her rush, she nearly fell over when a car drove by. Sighing in relief, Marinette readied to walk across the lane, only to gasp in shock upon seeing an elderly man walking towards the sidewalk she was currently on. The poor man was as slow as a turtle, with a can and all. And what was worse, was that a car was already coming his way. The car was going so fast it would surely run over the poor old man. What was worse, this man was also trying to multitask by driving and texting, which was never a good combination. Marinette never understood how people can care more about what was on their phones rather than what was in front of them.

The car was fast approaching and the man wasn't walking any faster. She didn't know what came over her, maybe it was just her human nature or her sister's influence, she didn't know but Marinette ran up and dragged the man right out of the road, just in time when the car came to a screeching halt upon seeing the elderly man and stopped at the very moment Marinette pulled the older man to safety.

"What's going on!" the driver asked, rolling down his window.

"Maybe you should stop texting and focus on where you're driving!" Marinette exclaimed angrily at the reckless driver, her face nearly as red as a tomato. The driver only blinked in surprise and placed his phone down before driving way. Marinette sighed in relief, relinquishing all of her anger, only to groan in frustration when she saw that many of the cookies from her box had fallen out in her attempts to help the old man.

"Oh, my! Thank you very much, miss." the old man said and bowed in gratitude as Marinette picked up the cookies, at least the ones that weren't already broken. Several bystanders even stepped on a few of the cookies before she could grab them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about your cookies." the man said as he helped her out. Before long, a decent amount of cookies were back in the box.

"No big deal, I'm used to it." Marinette said. "Would you like some? They're still a few good ones left."

The man humbly accepted the girl's offer and took a bite out of the cookie. "It's delicious!"

"My dad made them." Marinette said before looking down at her watch. "Oh, no! I'm going to be late! Have a good day, sir!" Marinette bowed in respect before making a mad dash across the sidewalk towards her new school.

The man smiled as he watched the girl leave. "Thank you very much, young lady…" he said with a knowing grin. Master Fu had a good feeling about this one.

(~)

The bell had already run and Marinette was running late already. Just what she needed, to be late at her first day at a new school. She did not regret helping that poor old man, but luck really wasn't on her side today. She was hallway towards the stairs that led to the school's doors, already panting. She would breath a sigh of relief once she reached her destination. But, just her luck, she tripped once more. Her eyes were so fixated on the doors she was completely oblivious to the stranger running in her direction. The boy cried out once they made contact, his taller body causing Marinette to fall down and the boy with her.

"I'm so sorry!" he said, once realizing his clumsy mistake. Marinette was right underneath the boy, who used his arms to support his upper body. He was around her age with slight tan skin, bright blond hair and bright forest green eyes.

"Are you alright….miss…" the boy trailed off upon seeing the girl he had collided with. She had the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen, her dark blue bang hung loosely on her forehead, slightly swiped to the side and she looked at the boy in surprise. The boy blinked, feeling embarrassed that he had fallen on this girl due to his carelessness. His cheeks turned red as he smiled rather shyly.

"Hi." he said.

Marinette only grunted in frustration as she shoved the boy off of her, causing him to fall back and land on his backside. Marinette stood up and dusted her cloths, picking up her backpack and box of cookies, none of which had fallen out this time.

The boy stood up as well and tried to apologize to the girl. "I'm really sorry about that." he said, trying to sound sincere. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Not the first time." she muttered under her breath and adjusted the strap of her backpack. She gasped once she heard the bell ringing again. "Oh, crud!" without a second glance, the girl ran up to the stairs and bursted into the building. The boy watched her run off in confusion, only to snap himself back to reality and face palm himself.

"Right, the bell!" he said to himself and ran into the building as well. This was his first day too, he couldn't be late.

(~)

Marinette bursted into class, just in the nick of time. The teacher had just started calling out the students' names. Once she arrived, Marinette breathed a sigh of relief and took the first empty seat she could find on one of the bench-like desks, fit for two students. Once seated, she placed her backpack beside her and her box of cookies on her desk. Her eyes scanned around the room. Her class was most certainly a colorful batch, and there was not one specific group of specific school stereotypes like at her old school. A goth girl was sitting next to a girl wearing pink, and the two were chatting like life long friends. Another desk had a strong-looking jock-like boy sitting beside a nerdy looking boy. The joke commenting on something his companion had on his phone. At her old school, a boy like this would had stuffed this poor smaller boy into his own locker. One boy wearing a cap and headphones around his neck waved at Marinette. She smiled and waved back, it would be rude of her not to. Maybe this new school wouldn't be so bad after all. A wave of relief and joy filled up within her, only to be taken down when a hand slammed onto Marinette's desk, startling her as she shrieked.

"Excuse me? Just who do you think you are?" a blond girl asked. She worried a white and black stripped shirt underneath a bright yellow jacket with a brown belt and white pants. Her hair was styled into a ponytail and wore sunglasses on her head.

"I'm sorry? Marinette asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, I see. You're the new girl from New York, right?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." the teacher called out, looking down at her clipboard, to which Marinette raised her hand.

"Here!"

"Marinette, hu?" the blond girl said, looking down at the dark haired girl with scorn. Marinette could already tell this girl loved looking her best, considering the amount of eye shadow she had on her eyes, and the expensive looking back she carried around her shoulder. "Well, I can understand since you're new here and you don't really know how things at this school work, so let me make it as clear as I possibly can. That seat you're sitting on right now, it's _mine!_ "

"Sorry, I didn't know." Marinette replied. It was an honest mistake, she was new here after all and she didn't know if somebody was already sitting here before she enrolled.

"Well, now you do." said another girl who just took a seat beside Marinette. She was a strawberry blond with a bob cut and white headband, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at Marinette while smiling wickedly, just like her blond companion.

Marinette only sighed. She knew this trope all too well: The mean girl and her lackey. Guess there was one in every school, if not then it wouldn't be a high school. It was a trend that never seemed to die, neither in television or in real life.

"So do us all a favor and go sit next to the other reject." the blond girl said as she pointed her finger at another desk, not too far from hers, where a tan skinned girl with brown/red hair sat. She wore glasses and a pleaded shirt with blue jean pants and converse. She narrowed her eyes at the blond girl.

Marrinette narrowed her eyes at the girl, "That's not very nice!" she voiced out. Marinette always did have a habit of saying whatever came to her mind. Sometimes words would just blurt out before she even had a chance to think it over. Even when her instincts were telling her to be silent, she just couldn't. She was an openly expressive person by nature.

The blond girl scoffed, "You've really got a lot to learn. Now move! Adrien will be here any minute, and _that_ next seat will be his, therefor _mine! Understood!_ "

"Who's Adrien?" Marinette asked. The blond girl and her companion immediately started laughing upon this question, almost as if it were stupid of her to even ask such a thing.

"Are you serious? You really don't know who Adrien is?! I thought New York girls knew all about the latest gossip." said the blond, making Marinette fell all the more insulted. This girl was not only a stereotype herself, she was stereotyping Marinette as well.

"He's a super famous model!" said the blond haired girl's companion. "The son of Gabriel Agreste."

Marinette gasped when she heard the name. " _The_ Gabriel Agreste?! The most famous fashion designer in all of Paris?!"

"Duh! I thought Japanese people were supposed to be like wicked smart or something." the blond girl said.

Marinette's fists clenched as she stood up and faced the blond, her anger fuming and her cheeks becoming red. "For your information, I'm _Chinese_!" she stated, "Get your facts straight before making accusations!" Marinette voice raised up. Several of the students witnessed this and the blond stepped back and scoffed.

"Uh! Do you have any idea who I am, runt!"

"A snobby blond?" Marinette replied. Every now and again, some hint of her sister's bravery would sink in an influence her actions. Today was one of those days.

"Why you little!" the blond gained up on Marinette, making the dark haired girl reel back, immediately loosing all of her courage in that very moment. The moment somebody else got angry was when she would back away. She never wanted to start a fight, but her anger just got the better of her again. Once again, she was just a big mess-up.

"That's enough, Chloe!" the girl from the nearby seat called out.

"Aww, if it isn't Alya here to save the day." Chloe taunted the girl, who only stood her ground. "What are you gonna do, super-loser? Shoot rays at me with your glasses?"

"You sure you wanna know?" Alya replied, standing firm before Chloe before shoving her aside and smiled kindly at Marinette, gently taking her hand. "Come on, you're welcome to sit with me." she said.

Marinette complied and took her backpack and box of cookies as she walked down towards her new desk. Only to trip and fall once again, this time looking all the rest of her cookies. As if Marinette wasn't humiliated enough. She could already hear Chloe and her companion, Sabrina, laughing at her expense. However, the rest of the class did no such thing. Marinette picked up what was left of her cookies and hung her head as she sat beside Alya.

Just then, the door opened once more and the blond boy who bumped into Marinette earlier. The minute he walked onto the room, several of the students gasped in awe, but Marinette only arched an eyebrow, until she remembered who he was. He was Adrian, the son of her favorite fashion designer. She couldn't believe she had not recognized him sooner. He looked exactly like in his father's fashion posters. Maybe she didn't recognize him without all of the flashy clothes he often wore. He wore more modest clothing today. A white over-shirt with an upturned collar and sleeves rolled up above his elbow with five horizontal stripes around the chest, consisting of yellow and green and blue jeans with orange sneakers.

"Sorry, I'm late." he said, waving shyly at the teacher. "I…got kind of lost." he confessed, his cheeks tinted with red.

"Adrihoney!" Chloe called out, waving at the boy from her desk and shoving Sabrina right off, causing her to land hard on the floor. "I saved your seat!"

"So glad you could join is, Mr. Agreste." said the teacher and Adrien took his seat next to Chloe, who immediately hugged him tightly, much to his unwanted surprise.

"I'm so happy you could make it! I was getting worried." Chloe said, trying her best to sound sincere.

"Uh, sorry to worry you." Adrien replied with uncertainty.

"Oh, forget it! And don't you worry, I'll let you in on the 411 on everything. Which are the best spots at the school to hang out, the losers you shoulder avoid, which is practically everyone except for me of course, and most importantly, which classes we'll be taking together! Oh, this is gonna be the best year, Adrihoney!"

"Y-yeah…great." Adrien forced himself to smile and placed his bag beside him. His eyes darted around the room until he spotted the girl he had run into earlier this morning. She was sitting only a few feet away from him next to another girl he didn't recognize. He never did get a chance to apologize for earlier and he hoped he would get the chance latter on.

Marinette didn't even bother to look his way. He was the son of a rich fashion designer and he was apparently friends with someone like Chloe. There was no point in befriending him, even if she wanted to. Based on her experience with rich people in the past, she made certain not to let the same mistake happen twice.

"Hey, it's okay." Alya said to her new companion. "Chloe's just a jerk. She thinks that just because her dad is the mayor of Paris that automatically makes her above everyone."

"Her dad is mayor?" Marinette said in surprise before groaning. "That explains a lot." she said before burying her face into her arms.

"I'm guessing you have experience with these kind of girls, hu?"

"How did you know?"

"The way you stood up to her just now. That was pretty impressive."

" _That_? Please, I didn't do anything. Besides, I backed down at the last minute. You, on the other hand, you stood up to her no problem. I can never do that without chickening out."

Alya only smiled compassionately. "Don't sell yourself short, kid." she said before pulling out her phone and showing Marinette a picture of a female superhero, with a cape and everything. "Ever read "Majestica?" she asked, Marinette only shook her head. "Well, she says that the only thing that lets the forces of evil win, is when the good guys don't' do anything about it."

Marinette arched an eyebrow. "You lost me."

"You see, the forces of evil-Chloe-and the good people-that's us-we can't allow her to push us around."

"I'm not much of a fighter." said Marinette, "Besides, I don't think fighting really solves everything."

"I'm not talking about punching her into a wall, I'm talking about never letting people like her get to us. Once she knows she can't get to us, she'll loose her power over us. You get me now?"

"I…think so. But it's easier said that done."

"Don't worry about it. Starting now, we're gonna work on your confidence, er…" Alya trailed off, now realizing she had not asked for the girl's name. Marinette took the last good cookie she had and split it in two, sharing the other half with her new friend.

"Marinette."

"Alya."

The two new friends ate the pieces of cookie together, cementing their new friendship. Marinette did like making new friends, even if she was still cautious about who she trusted. Something was telling her she could trust Alya. So long as she stuck with her and not Chole, thugs should be fine.

Meanwhile, Adrien watched as the two girls giggled happily. He always wondered what it was like to have a friend whom you could laugh with. Chloe was the only friend he had before coming to school, but it was more so by chance than anything. His father was old friends with Chloe's father, and during their business meetings the two of them would play a bit, but most of the time it was Chloe who called most of the shots. Adrien, being the polite boy that he was, allowed her to. Over the years, Chloe became more and more materialistic and mean, but was always kind to Adrien, even more so once he became his father's new fashion model. Sadly, it wasn't the friendship Adrien had hoped for. Still, he couldn't be rude about it. He hoped being at school for the first time would change that.

He kept on looking at Marinette, she seemed so comfortable with her new friend. The memory of there encounter was still fresh in his mind. He couldn't forget her beautiful bell blue eyes. And, more amazing, she didn't fawn all over him like other girls did. If anything, she didn't appeared to have even know who he was. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air.

Chloe noticed Adrien starring at the girl, and immediately her jealousy flared. "Eh, word of advice; stay away from _that_ one." she said, pointing at Marinette, "She has like zero respect for people like us."

"What do you mean people like "us"?" Adrien asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Important people. You and me, we're at the top of the food-chain. They're at the bottom."

"Chloe, just because they're not rich doesn't mean you can treat them like-"

"Like what? Insects? That's exactly what they are."

"Even _actual_ insects have a purpose, Chloe." Adrien stated before turning his gaze back at the teacher while crossing his arms on his desk, not wanting to lose his temper right then and there.

"Oh, Adrihoney, you've still got a lot to learn." Chloe said as she pinched Adrien's cheek, much to his dismay. He rubbed his face a and his eyes fall back upon Marinette. He smiled.

(~)

The rest of the day went along rather smoothly, much to Marinette's surprise. Alya was fantastic, she was kind, non-shallow and she was a lot of fun. She reminded her a bit of Bridgett. She had her same fearlessness and spunk.

As for Adrien, his first day was…somewhat okay. He was still bombarded by fans who wanted a picture and autograph, and Chloe clung onto his arm all day long. He could tell she was mostly feeling his arm muscles. He wasn't particularly that muscular, but many years of fencing and karate did leave him physically fit. It came to a point where he couldn't take it anymore and politely pulled his arm away from her grip.

"Chloe, I'm going to need both of my hands to eat lunch." he said before walking a bit faster towards the cafeteria, leaving Chloe to grunt in anger. Adrien was a bit of the stubborn naive type, but if she was going to have him for herself then she would make sure to teach him the ropes.

The cafeteria was just as he saw in movies that took place in high school. Only cleaner. He looked at the variety of choices and his stomach grumbled. As a model, he was mostly supposed to eat very light meals, and not too much sugar or greasy foods. But today, he didn't care how greasy the food was, he just wanted a taste for once. He spotted the first food he had long wanted to try in years.

Pizza!

As a kid, he used to love eating pizza with his mom and dad, but ever since he became a model, the amount of the cheesy goodness was minimized to the point he couldn't eat anymore. He licked his lips as he made a mad dash for the last two remaining slices. One with pepperoni and one with mushrooms. He reached for the one with pepperoni, at the exact same time another hand reached out for it as well.

His eyes darted upwards to see who it was, and he let out a silent gasp once he saw it was Marinette. Immediately, the two reeled back their hands which had made contact with one another. Adrien could feel his cheek turn red as did Marinette's, though his was more out of being flustered since this was the second time they made contact, Marinette's was more out of embarrassment than anything.

Adrien scratched the back of his neck, trying to say something to the girl he had bumped into to. "I, um, uh…Hi." he said. He mentally slapped himself. Adrien had never struggled to speak to anyone before, then again the only other girl he ever had a conversation with was Chloe.

"Hi." Marinette replied indifferently.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for bumping into you earlier. I can be such a klutz sometimes."

Marinette blinked before replying. "It's fine. I guess." she said with uncertainty. She wasn't entirely sure if to fully trust this boy yet. Besides, a super model being a klutz? She'd already seen a few of his works, he most certainly didn't look like a klutz. Not to mention, he was standing there with a hand behind his neck and the other on his hip before placing it onto the side of the table trying to look casual. It was evident he had been doing this modeling business for a long time now, and it showed in his posture.

Adrien's eyes darted back and forth between the girl and the pizza slices. "Uh, would you like to go first?" he said politely while trying to hide his bashfulness. He didn't know what to say to this girl. Was she still upset with him? It was hard for him to tell. For him, this girl was a little bit hard to read.

Marinette reached out her hand and choose the slice of pizza with pepperoni, her eyes darting back and forth between her meal and the boy. He smiled kindly, his green eyes sparkling like emeralds. She had to admit, he was pretty cute. She managed to smile a bit and nod her head in gratitude before heading to her table.

Chloe had watched the whole thing, and took notice of the way Marinette was looking at _her_ Adrien. She didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. As Marinette approached, she shoved her expensive designer bag with her foot, putting it in Marinette's path, causing the girl to trip and fall. The slice of pizza splattered underneath her shirt. Chloe and several other students started laughing, minus a few, including Alya and Adrien. Marinette sat up, the slice of pizza already staining her favorite white shirt right before hearing the sound of a digital camera flash. Chloe had taken a picture of the poor girl's humiliating moment, and all with a devilish grin on her face.

Adrien rushed to Marinette's side only to have Chloe grab his arm. "Oh, Adrien, you're so brilliant! I swear, you even had me fooled for a second there." Chloe said with a chuckle before taking another picture of a new messy Marinette who was now standing in front of her. "Did you really think somebody as cool as Adrien would ever be friends with someone like you?"

At that moment, Chloe's words triggered an unwanted memory in Marinette's mind. A moment very similar to this one, where all eyes were on her, only instead of pizza it was mash potatoes, as well as a few broken chips. The girl, whom he thought was her friend, was the ringmaster of this little sideshow. The camera phone flashed, nearly blinding Marinette.

 _"Did you really think I'd be friends with someone like you?"_

Tears began to form in her eyes and Marinette ran as fast as she could away from the scene. Alya ran after her and Adrien tried to reach out to explain everything, but was stopped by Chloe. "Let her go, Adrien. After what she did to me, she deserves it."

Adrien angrily removed his arm from her grip and ran after Marinette. Alya managed to cat up to her new friend, "Marinette! It's okay, don't let her get to you!"

For a moment, Marinette stopped her running, and looked at Alya, wiping away her tears. "I just want to go home." she said, her voice cracking as more tears came from her eyes.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Alya said, wrapping her arms around the poor girl in an effort to comfort her. But, as kind as the gesture was, Marinette just really wanted to leave. After that moment, she just didn't want to stay at this school any longer. "It was just an accident."

"No…it wasn't just that." Marinette said as she gently ended the hug. "Look, I can't explain it right now, just please…I just want to get back home."

"But-"

"Please."

Alya decided to comply and allow her friend to go home. It seemed like she really needed it. "I'll explain everything to the teacher, promise."

"Thanks."

"Just get some rest." Alya patted her new friend on the back before heading back, ready to give Chloe a piece of her mind.

Adrien, who had been hiding behind a wall, walked out and followed Marinette outside in hopes of explaining everything to her. He felt awful over what happened. He couldn't let this poor girl leave school just because of one stupid prank.

"Hey! Marinette!" he called out once they both reached outside, "Please, wait!"

"What do you want?!" Marinette shouted angrily as she stopped and stunned around to face him. "Not enough laughs for you? Is that it?!"

"No! I swear, I had nothing to do with this! It was all Chloe!"

"You really expect me to believe that?"

"I'm telling you the truth." Adrien insisted, looking at her with sadness in his green eyes.

"Right, this coming from the guy who's friends with Chloe, the queen bee."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I may technically be the new girl here, but I know how this works. You and Chloe are just like the rest of them."

"The rest of them?" Adrien asked back, "Are you implying there's a "them"?"

"Yeah. Rich kids like you who like to toy with other students for your own amusement just because you believe you can!"

"I'm not like that!"

"Right. And _that's_ not pizza sauce on my shirt!" Marinette said, pointing at her stained shirt.

"Look, I'm sorry for what happened, but one stupid prank shouldn't be enough for you to leave school in the middle of the day."

" _You don't know me at all!_ " Marinette's fists clenched after he angry outburst, which was enough for Adrien to step back, gripping his bag in fear. His eyes widening and Marinette slowly stepped back, panting slowly. "You don't know me."

Before he could say another word, a sleek limousine pulled over in front of the two and a woman wearing a secretary outfit walked out. "Adrien! There you are!" she exclaimed as she approached the boy. "Is this where you've been all morning? You know your father disapproves of this!"

"But, Nathalie!"

"We're taking you home, right now." the woman stated firmly, causing Adrien to quickly give up. This surprised Marinette a bit. Why was he not allowed to go to school? And why did he wimp out like she did when Chloe got angry. Why was he so scared all of a sudden?

Adrien sadly complied and followed Nathalie towards the limo, but not before turning around to look at Marinette. "You're right, I don't know you. But you don't know me either." he said, his tone slightly bitter with a hint of depression before he walked into the limo. Marinette watched as the vehicle drove away, still unsure on what had just happened.

She looked back at the school before heading her way back home. She'd father face her parents' many questions and go back in there.

(~)


	3. Heroes Rise

**Heroes Rise!**

The window opened, illuminating the dark room where the dark figure stood. The white butterflies fluttered all around and he smiled wickedly. It was his first catch of the day, and he was going to reel it in before it got away.

"So many negative emotions." he said. "I love it. Sadness, anger…this lucky girl will be the first to taste my power." he opened his palm, which was covered with a black glove, allowing one white butterfly to land on. He covered the insect with his other hand, transferring his energy into it. The insect itself became tainted, its pure white wings turned black with glowing purple markings. The man smiled wickedly at his newest creation while Nooroo watched helplessly from inside the Miraculous.

The man released the butterfly, allowing it to fly out the small opening in the window, releasing it onto the city of Paris to find its first victim.

"Go my little Akuma. Find her, and darken her heart!"

(~)

Marinette was already halfway home, the pizza sauce already drying up on her shirt, much to her dismay. This stain would be almost impossible to get off. As she walked, she felt something fluttering at her ear. She recognized the sound as butterfly wings.

The girl was rather surprised, she had never seen a butterfly of this variety before. Its strange black colored wings sent a shiver up and down her spine. It just didn't seem natural to her. The little insect kept on harassing her, even attempting to stick itself onto her backpack or her shirt or her shoulder bag, almost like it was trying to find something.

"Hey! Get away!" Marinette swatted the creature away before heading down her street. The butterfly flew away from the girl, leaving her be.

(~)

The dark figure angrily growled and stomped his foot. "What is happening?! Why didn't my Akuma work on her?! Her heart probably wasn't dark enough. Well, I most certainly won't make that mistake twice."

(~)

Adrien watched sadly as the city and its people passed before him, his head leaning against the car window. He was so hoping he would be able to give his father's secretary and his limo driver the slip this time around, and for a moment he did. He had informed his father to allow him to go to the mall by himself, which was one of the few things Adrien's father allowed him to do by himself. Using this, he hoped to get a glimpse of how school life was really like, only now it seemed he had made a big mess of things. He only wanted to make friends and feel like a normal kid for once, but it would seem that would never happen. At the end of the day, one can't be anything else but what they are. Adrien was just a rich kid, and no doubt that's all anyone would ever see him as. Marinette certainly didn't see him as anything different than that, and he thought maybe she would. Sadly, that was not the case. Maybe it was best if he didn't go after all. Last thing he ever wanted was to ruin someone's day.

"Your father will not be happy about this, young man. Nathalie said, looking at the boy from the review mirror. She sat shotgun beside the limo driver, who was as big as a gorilla, and trice was strong. Adriaen nicknamed him "Gorilla" for this very reason, to which even the driver himself didn't mind. Unlike his boss's secretary, he felt more sympathy for the young lad.

"All I want is to go to high school like everyone else." Adrien said, "What's wrong with that?"

Neither Nathalie nor Gorilla responded to his question. They just remained silent, which wasn't anything too new for Gorilla since he wasn't much of a conversationalist, but it was a tad new for Nathalie. She was always the one needing to school Adrien about running off and disobeying his father. He was lucky Gabriel wasn't a violent man, or else he'd smack his own son for his rebellious spirit. Then again, Gabriel wasn't always as around as Adrien would have liked. He spent most of his time working on his new fashion line or flying off to business meetings on his private jet, leaving Adrien to be home schooled at home, unless he was needed for a photo shoot anywhere else. At least Adrien got to travel, which was fun, but often times…it was very lonely.

He felt like a prisoner in his own home, like those princesses in fairytales who are forced to be locked up in a tower. As embarrassing as that sounds, it was Adrien's life. He was a sad little prince forced to live in a tower for the rest of his days, guarded by an overbearing parent.

Times like these, he wished his mother was still around. His father wasn't always so distant and cold. He used to be happy. Always smiling and cracking up jokes. His wife was the light of his life, his joy, his inspiration. They studied at the same fashion school where they fell in love. Adrien's mother would often tell her son about the fairytale romance she had with his father when she was young. It may sound strange, but Adrien did somewhat wish something magical and exciting would happen to him. Maybe he too could find an amazing girl to fall in love with and have a fairytale adventure.

One tragic day, his mother went missing. It was completely out of the blue. Adrien refused to believe she just left them, and Gabriel assured him that wasn't the case. However, he also didn't know why or how his wife just left. The police searched high and low for her for several years, but found no trace of her. From that day forward, Gabriel was a changed man. But not for the better…for the worse. Adrien felt like he was living with a stranger. His father was practically a prison officer, keeping his son at bay. It was far from a fairytale life.

The car came to a slow stop, arriving at the Agreste estate, which really did look like a palace…a palace with walls surrounding the estate with a large mansion within, standing tall and shimmering in the sunlight. And arc formed the main entrance, adorned with expensive elaborately styled steal gates. Adrien sighed as he exited the limo, only to stop on his tracks when he heard the sound of someone crying for help.

"Help! Someone, please!"

Adrien quickly spun his head to see an elderly asian man, knees to the floor, trying desperately to reach his cane. The poor man looked so helpless and week it tore Adrien's heart in two. Acting on impulse, Adrien ran past Nathalie and Gorilla, much to their surprise, and watched as the boy assisted the elderly man by giving him his cane and helping him stand up.

"Thank you very much, young man."

Adrien only smiled, not saying a word. He was just happy the poor old man could finally stand up again. "Adrien!" Nathalie called out, making the blond teenager jolt up in surprise. The woman could be very intimidating when she wanted to be. Adrien waved farewell to the old man and walked back towards the two adults.

As the gates opened and the three entered the estate, Master Fu smiled in satisfaction before walking away from the scene. Holding his cane over his back while whistling a happy tune.

(~)

The bell rang and the students exited the classroom one by one. Chloe was pouting throughout the entire class. "Where did Adrien go?" she asked Sabrina, "You don't think he went after that new girl, do you Sabrina?"

"Of course not!" her friend/personal girl servant said with confidence, "Why would someone as cool as Adrien ever want to have anything to do with her when he's already got the most amazing, smart and beautiful girl."

Chloe slammed her fists onto her desk, frightening Sabrina. "What?! Who is this tramp?!"

"I was talking about _you_."

Chloe blinked before calming down. "Oh. Right, of course! Obviously."

" _Kim!_ "

Chloe and Sabrina turned their heads once they heard one of their classmates, Ivan, shout out the name of their other classmate, and clenched his fists, ready to punch him in the face.

"Ivan, what is going on?!" the teacher exclaimed, stopping the fight before it even began.

Ivan was a big looking fellow, strong and intimidating with his dark shirt with two intercrossed bones, dark pants and sneakers and perfectly cut hair with a cuff of it styled to the side of his forehead, dyed blond.

Kim was the jock Marinette spotted earlier, with his amber colored hair styled in a spiky hairdo wearing a red hooded shirt, and smiling smugly at Ivan.

"It was Kim!" Ivan stated, clenching his fist and aiming it back at the boy, "I'm gonna make him taste-"

"That's enough!" the teacher exclaimed, walking closer to the two boys and crossing her arms. "Ivan, go calm yourself in the principal's office. I will not tolerate violence in my classroom."

"But-"

"Now!"

Kim only chuckled and Ivan growled angrily as he crumbled a piece of paper in his palm before storming out of the classroom. Little did they all know, a particular butterfly with back wings fluttered by the window. From within his chambers the mysterious figure could feel the boy's sadness and anger. His previous option didn't have what it took, but this one most certainly did.

"Well, what do we have here? Another candidate, I presume? Perfect."

Ivan walked to the principal's office, angrily clenching the crumbled piece of paper in his hands. He didn't do anything wrong, and yet he was the one being punished. This just wasn't fair. Not fair at all. He was so lost in his angry thoughts he became completely unaware of the dark butterfly approaching him. The insect touched the surface of the paper in his hand, instantaneously dissolving into black particles which sunk into the paper, turning it dark purple. Ivan felt something overwhelm him. A strange yet incredible wave of power coursing through his veins. Red butterfly winged markings appeared around his eyes. His heart yearned for revenge, for justice, for satisfaction. His instincts were taking over, clouding his mind, his heart and soul. Within his head, he could hear a voice. The voice of a man he did not recognize, but at the same time felt compelled to obey.

"Listen to me, my boy." the wicked man said, speaking to Ivan via telepathy, "I am HawkMoth. I am offering you now the power to avenge yourself on those who've hurt you. From this day forward, you shall be known…as Stoneheart!"

Ivan's smile grew, as he repeated the name "Stoneheart. I like it." from his palm, the crumpled paper began releasing dark colored ooze that extended from his hand and covering his body. His proportions started to change, the negative energy of the dark butterfly altering his appearance as well as his own soul. His skin became hard as stone, his eyes glowing a pure gold, his size increasing and his fists clenched tighter than before, still holding onto the crumpled piece of paper. The only thing reminding him of his motivation.

The principal screamed in terror once the door to his office was suddenly torn down, breaking into pieces. His eyes widened and drops of sweat dripped from his forehead. A creature, unlike anything he had ever seen before, made entirely out of stone, came in, roaring and towering over the man, nearly reaching the ceiling.

"KIIIIIIIIIM!" the stone golem roared, his golden eyes burning with angry and furry. The beast smashed the walls, causing the school to shake. Several students tumbled and fell upon feeling the impact. Alya took immediate action and led several frightened students out of the library. The security monitors on the wall shocked the students as they saw a creature made entirely of stone. Stoneheart had smashed right though the principal's window, and was now rummaging through the streets of Paris, continuously roaring Kim's name, over and over, each cry angrier than the last.

The principal took out his cell phone, trying his best to calm his racing heart, which was causing him to shake uncontrollably. He managed to dial the right number. "Hello, Police!"

(~)

Adrien sulked in his seat and rested his elbows on the table as he waited for his father to walk into the dinning room. The air suddenly became cold and uninviting. His father had arrived.

Gabriel Agreste was just as intimidating as he appeared to be. His platinum blond hair was sleeked back and wore an expensive white suit and a pair of gray glasses. His gaze was just as cold as his presence, which intimidated even Adrien. Nathalie stood a few feet away, allowing father and son to speak to one another.

"Adrien, I already told you, you are not allowed to leave this house unless I allow it."

"Then, can you allow me to go tot school?" Adrien asked hopefully.

"Out of the question!" Gabriel said loudly, briefly loosing his cool composure before resuming. "You have everything you need here."

"Except friends." Adrien stated, already tired of hearing the same speech over and over again.

"What about Chloe Bourgeois? She's your friend. And she's a very beautiful young lady."

"But she's the _only_ one I got. Besides, we don't have anything in common anymore and she's so cruel and mean and…dad, please reconsider. I just want to be like everybody else."

"You are not like everybody else. You are my son."

"That doesn't mean you can keep he locked inside a cage!" Adrien exclaimed, his anger rising and his fists slamming the table.

"That's enough!" Gabriel yelled, his voice raising so much it echoed across the walls of the building, causing Adrian to step down. He couldn't argue with his father. Adrien knew first hand just how stubborn he could be. This was a fight he could never win.

"I will hear no more of this matter. Go to your room and study." with that, Gabriel left the room and Adrien hurried to his. He slammed the door, dropped his shoulder bag onto the table and landed face first into his pillow. His father would never understand him, and worse was that Adrien didn't have the courage to stand up to his father. He wanted to speak up but he didn't want to make there relationship even more strained.

It just wasn't fair.

(~)

Marinette dropped her things and collided with her bed, weeping. She could hear her mother's voice knocking at the floor door of her bedroom.

"Marinette, honey. You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"I just want to be alone, mom."

"Your father and I are right here if you need us."

"Thanks." Marinette weeped as she held her pillow close to her chest. Her first year at a new school and everything was already going downhill. She had been humiliated all over again, just when she believed things were getting good.

"I hate this place." she said as she sat back up and turned on her computer, hoping some music might calm her down. But, the moment she turned on her computer, she spotted something on the web search page. It was a live news report regarding a strange stone-like creature. Marinette's curiosity got the better of her. Maybe this was for some new film or something? She didn't entirely know why but she just clicked on it and, sure enough, a live video stream appeared, showcasing the police attacking a strange stone-like monster. Even stranger, the channel it was one clearly stated that this was _actually_ happening at this very moment. Suddenly, Marinette's phone rang, in which an image of Alya appeared. She had nearly forgotten they had exchanged numbers. Or rather, Alya insisted they did. She pressed the button and answered.

"Hello?"

"Marinette! Have you seen the news?!"

"Yeah, I'm watching it right now. What's going on?"

"Don't you know? It's a real life monster!"

Unbeknownst to her, a strange object rolled out from her bag, almost as if it had a mind of its own.

(~)

Adrien heard the sound of gigantic footsteps just outside his house. He quickly ran out to inspect what was happening and, sure enough, his eyes widened in horror to see a giant stone monster attacking the Paris Police. The cops continuously shot bullets at the creature, to which its body was impenetrable to. Worse, with each attack the monster grew bigger and larger than before.

"KIIIIIM!" He roared in anger, smashing the cop cars as the cops themselves ran away in fear. There was no stopping this thing.

Adrien rushed to his room and turned on the television and immediately appeared the mayor, Chloe's dad, holding a press conference regarding the monster's attacks.

"I ask every Parisian to stay home until the situation is under control." the mayor said, right before getting bombarded with even more questions. The news anchor woman appeared on screen, with an image of the Mayor stood beside her as she explained the situation. Fear was evident in her eyes as well.

"As unbelievable as it may be, it seems a real life stone golem is spreading terror in Paris. The security forces are trying to take care of this monster, but our resources show that this is a fight they can easily win."

As Adrien listened, an object from his bag rolled out and reached the table, almost as it if had a mind of its own.

(~)

Marinette watched in fear at the monster smashing up even more cars in its way. This was just what she needed, not only was she humiliated at her new school, but now there was a dangerous monster wreaking havoc.

"What is going on here?!" she desperately asked. Then, suddenly, she noticed something in front of her. It was a strange looking little black box. "Where did this come from?"

(~)

Adrien reached for the remote, only to find a strange looking little black box in front of him. He had never seen this before, and he was very certain it wasn't there a minute ago.

"Where did this come from?"

(~)

At the exact same time, both Adrien and Marinette opened their respected boxes, which contained some kind of jewelry inside. Adrien's carried a silver ring while Marinette's carried a pair of black earrings. The moment the lids were lifted, a beam of bright light emerged from the jewels, causing the two teens to drop their respected boxes and step back from the lights. Adrien's was green while Marinette's was red.

Marinette hesitated to open her eyes upon seeing something emerge from the light. It was very small, bright red in color with a red dot on its forehead, and a slightly larger head compared to the rest of its body. The creature was incredibly small snd floated in front of the teenage girl. The creature opened its big blue eyes, and stared directly at Marinette.

 _"AH!"_ Marinette let out a terrified scream and literally jumped right out of her seat, falling onto the ground and crawling away from whatever the heck it was that was floating before her. "W-what is that thing?!" she cried out, reaching towards her nightstand and using it to support her as she stood up.

"Please, calm down." the little creature said, speaking in with an adorable voice like those anime fluffy sidekicks from television. She was undoubtedly female by the way she sounded.

"You-you can talk?!" Marinette exclaimed while taking one of her perfume bottles from the stand's surface.

"Yes, and I-Hey!" the little creature flew out of the way the moment Marinette threw one of her perfume bottles at the creature. Next, she threw several of her stuffed animals and even a few of her notebooks to try and frighten the creature away. The little red pixie only dodged every incoming attack.

(~)

The mysterious green light vanished, allowing Adrien to see what it was that had appeared before him. It was a strange looking creature with a tiny body and head slightly bigger than its body. It was colored black all over with cat-like ears and cat-like green eyes with a little tail and two long whiskers sticking out of his cheeks.

Adrien blinked twice before reacting. He let out a short scream and instinctively took one of the pillows from the couch of his room and tackled the strange creature, pinning it to the ground while sustaining the pillow in place.

"Hey! Is that any way to say hello?" the creature said from under the pillow, his voice muffled.

Hesitantly, Adrien slowly lifted the pillow up, only to be startled when the creature flew out like a rocket before hovering before the young boy, blinking. Adrien had never seen a creature like this before. He honestly didn't know what to think. A strange black little fairy creature just magicaly appeared out of a box that came out of nowhere. This sounded a lot like the stories in his comic books.

The teenage boy stood up and gently poked the creature's little stomach. "Wow. Are you some kind of genie, or something?"

The little creature laughed, "Ha! Seriously? You humans still believe in genies? Wait, is this Persia again?"

"Uh, no. You're in Paris."

"Oh, sweet! I always wanted to see Paris. Wait, are you the kid who opened my box?"

"Uh, yeah." Adrian replied, still confused as to what was going on.

"Well, I suppose introductions are in order. My name's Plagg. Nice to meet you, um…?"

"Adrien."

"Adrien! Oooh, nice digs you got here!" Plagg said as he flew around the room, which was almost as big as a ballroom, minus the fancy stuff. It had a variety of arcade game consoles, including a foosball table, a rock climbing wall, a large laptop on a neatly organized desk and even some stairs that led to a higher level where Adrian kept his books, comics and dvds. Plagg first choose the foosball table and started bitting the heads of the tiny metal human-like toys.

"Ow! That tastes terrible!"

"Hey, don't touch that!" Adrien called out as he tried to capture the little creature, only to have him fly away from his grasp. "Hey, get back here!"

Plagg reached the game consoles and started jumping on the buttons before noticing the handle, "Oh, shinny. Is it edible?" he asked. Rather than have Adrien answer for him, he went along and took a bite, but gained the same reaction as he did with the foosball table. "No, not at all. Oh, what's that?"

Adrien once again tried to grab the creature, but he only flew away, trying to find something else to eat.

(~)

"Please, I'm trying to explain-will you please stop that?! Hey-No, don't you dare throw that monkey!" the pixie once again managed to avoid another incoming stuffed animal as she flew closer to the frightened girl.

"What are you?! Some kind of mutant cockroach mouse thing? A mouseroach?!"

"No, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you, Marinette."

"How do you know my name?! Wait, are you an alien?!"

"No, if you will just let me explain-Hey!" the little pixie found herself now trapped inside a glass cup. Marinette finally managed to capture the little thing. The creature only sighed. "Fine. If this reassure's you."

"Who are you and how do you know my name?!" Marinette said demandingly.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tikki, I'm a Kwami."

Marinette blinked, "Okay, so how did you get in my room?"

"Through that." Tikki pointed her adorable little hand towards the box from which she had emerged, which contained a pair of stunning black earrings.

"You came from the jewelry box?" Marinette asked, growing more and more confused.

"Yes. But those aren't just ordinary jewels."

(~)

Plagg was now trying to take a bite out of the remote control, after having tasted nearly everything in Adrien's room. Adrien climbed up his wall before leaping down and tackling Plagg, landing stomach first on the couch now holding the creature in his hands.

"Alright, enough fooling around! How did you get here and what do you want?" Adrien asked, demanding to get some answers.

"First of all, you only had to ask. Second, I'm a Kwami and I came from that box with the ring." he turned his head towards the box, which was still on the table. Adrien followed his gaze, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What's so special about a ring?"

"It's no ordinary ring. It's magic. It can give you the power to destroy anything you touch. Of course, it can't do that without me."

Adrian blinked in confusion. "Wait, magic? Power of destruction, why would I want something like that?"

"It's this whole yin and yang concept thing, it's hard to explain."

"I know all about that stuff. I've studied chinese culture for years, but what's that got to do with me getting the ring?"

"Well, aren't you full of questions. And I thought pretty people were dumb." Plagg said, making Adrien pout in annoyance. "Okay, to put it simple: That ring is called a Miraculous, a special type of jewel that has been around for centuries. Bestowed upon only the most worthy, a.k.a. _you_."

"Me?"

"Yeah, because you're pure of heart, or something or other. Anyway, that ring, the ring of the Black Cat, it can give you the power to destroy, so long as I'm inside of it, and since you've been chosen, it's up to you to use its power to help protect mankind just like the ones before you."

"So, what you're saying is that, with that ring…I can be a super hero?" Adrien's eyes widened in awe at the very idea of him becoming an actual superhero like the ones in his comics. It was a dream come true.

"Well sure, if you want to get all technical." Plagg said, rolling his eyes, "Now that that's all cleared up, can you let me go? And maybe get me something to eat? I'm starving!"

(~)

"You see, with those earrings, I can bestow upon you the power of creation."

Marinette's cheeks blushed, "Whoa, whoa! Slow down there, I'm only fifteen!"

"Not _that_ kind of creation, silly." Tikki said with a giggle, "I meant the ability to create anything out of thin air. Many before you have worn those earrings to help protect mankind from evil, and now you have been chosen to carry on that legacy."

"Me? Wait, you're saying I'm supposed to become some kind of superhero or something?"

"Basically." Tikki replied calmly.

Marinette shook her head in disbelief, "This is crazy!" she said, reaching out her hand towards the door on her floor, calling out to her parents. "Mom! Dad!"

"No, Marinette!" Tikki cried out and, in a blink, she magically flew right out of the cup like a ghost, hovering before the girl, stopping her from alerting her parents. "I know this is a lot to take in, but you have to trust me! Now that you know the truth you and your partner are the only ones who can stop Stoneheart!"

"Stoneheart? You mean that giant rock monster on the news?"

"Yes! He's not just any ordinary monster, he's actually an innocent human being."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see, there are more Miraculouses like mine. One of which had been activated at the same time you activated yours. The Black Cat's ring! They have been partners against the forces of evil long since time began, and you must team up again in order to save that poor innocent."

"But, how did he become a monster in the first place?" Marinette asked, slowly calming down from the shock of before.

"There is another Miraculous, but it is being used for evil. It can be used to create these things called Akumas, which are dark butterflies that control and turn people into a manifestation of their deepest desires. It was once used to help others, but now it's power is being used to create villains by influencing their darkest emotions. You, Marinette, you're the only one who can stop this!"

(~)

"Are you serious?! You expect me to save that stone creature from an evil spell?" Adrien asked, having having Plagg explain the whole situation to him.

"Actually, you won't be doing it alone." Plagg said as he played with a roll of toilet paper, dancing over it as it rolled on the floor. "Another Miraculous was activated at the same time I was. The Ladybug earrings. Both wielders of the earrings and the ring have been partners in crime for ages. You just have to find her. You can't be able to save this guy without each other.

"How am I supposed to do that if I'm stuck here?" Adrien said, clenching his fists in frustration. "I'm not even allowed to go to school. What good is a superhero if he can't even leave his own house?"

"Not much." Plagg said, still rolling on the toilet paper. "But, with that ring you'll not only have the power of destruction, but also the abilities of a cat. Including being able to slip in and out without making a peep." he said, catching Adrien's attention.

Being able to leave the house whenever he wanted to, and not have anyone realize it. If he had a double identity he could have the freedom to do what he never could as ordinary Adrien. Not only that, but he will be helping people as well. He never felt like he was accomplishing much with his modeling job, if he could even call it that, but this…this could change everything.

He could be free. He could be somebody else. And, if it was true that he would have a partner at it as well, even better! He wouldn't have to share his newfound freedom alone! He could meet somebody else, maybe make a real new friend, even if it was while wearing a mask.

At this point, he really didn't see any downside, aside from the fact his father would probably catch him being late to photo shoots or piano lessons. But, he'd father face that than live his entire life cooped up in a tower. At least, as a hero, he won't get punished. He can finally live!

"Everything will change if you accept this ring." Plagg said, "But, if you do, there's no going back."

Adrien was just fine with that. He didn't want to go back. Looking at at the silver ring in his palm, his choice was clear.

(~)

Marinette was on her knees while trying so hard to process all this new information. This little magical pixie creature pops up and tells her she was chosen to become a superhero and save the city.

"There must be a mistake! The only superpower I have is supper clumsiness!" she said, gripping her hair. Marinette could never be a superhero. Superheroes were strong, confident, fearless and graceful, while Marinette was shy, clumsy and lacked any form of grace whatsoever. In short, she was no Bridget.

If her sister were still here, it'd have been she who'd have been chosen, not her. She was the strong one, the smart one, the beautiful one. She was a real hero in Marinette's eyes, and she knew she could never come close to becoming the woman she was.

But, with Bridget gone, who else could take the mantel? Someone braver than Marinette.

"I know! Alya! She's supper brave and fearless, and she _adores_ superheroes! She'd be perfect for this job, you should go and choose her instead."

"No, Marinette. _You_ were chosen, and once you are chosen there's no going back." Tikki firmly stated, while hovering a few inches away from the girl's face.

"You don't understand, I'm not superhero material. I'm clumsy, I trip over my words, when things get hard I run and hide I'm…" the poor girl sighed, hanging her head in shame. "I'm no Bridget."

"Wait, Bridget?" Tikki felt she had heard that name once before, but wasn't entirely sure from where.

"My sister. She's the hero of the family. Or, at least…she was." Marinette stood up and walked over to her nigh stand, in which a picture of a young Marinette and her sister hung by a ladybug magnet in the right hand corner of the mirror. "Whenever I was scared, she was always there to keep me safe. She was my best friend. I can never be like her."

"You're right." Tikki said, taking the girl by surprise. "You can't be like your sister. You can only be like _you._ "

"But _me_ isn't cut out for this."

"Well, I believe you are. And so should you."

(~)

Adrien proudly placed the ring on his left hand's finger, and once he did the object shimmered in the sunlight, making the young boy smile.

"So, you ready?" Plagg asked.

Adrien smirked. "More than ready."

"Great! All you have to do is say my name and "Claws out!" That's the activating phrase."

"Got it. Plagg, Claws out!" upon Adrien's command, Plagg was immediately sucked into the silver ring like a vacuum, all while the young boy smiled as the ring itself turned black, and a green paw print appeared on it. From the ring, he could feel hid body changing and a newfound energy coursing through him. There were no words to properly explain what it was that was happening to him, but he never felt more alive.

Over his eyes, a black mask appeared, covering most of his face, including the tip surface of his nose and his cheekbones, while leaving his mouth and forehead bare. His hair became messier, which he loved. Under normal circumstances, he always had to keep his hair perfect to maintain that supper model image. But not this time. A pair of black cat ears appeared on his head, and while he still had his human ears, these new ones still felt just as real. His entire body became submerged with a green energy, changing his ordinary cloths into a full body black cat suit, hugging his upper arms, perfectly showcasing more muscle than he had before and a yellow cat-bell appeared around his neck. He could feel his physical strength increasing. His hands were gloved with black gloves with long sharp fingernails to resemble claws, and they felt every bit as real as his new ears. Last but not least, a silver stick appeared around his waist, followed by a long belt that resembled a cat's tail, which also felt real and moved according to Adrian's mood. Once the transformation was complete, Adrien admired his new outfit. Normally, a cat suit was worn for female heroes or vilenesses, but in this case he made the whole male black cat superhero work. He looked at his reflection on the blank screen of his laptop, noticing his eyes. His irises were now a much stronger emerald green and his pupils were now partly slits, resembling that of a cat. The whites of his eyes than turned light yellow green. He had never felt more alive.

"This…is…amazing!"

(~)

"So, all I need to do is break the object the bug is in, right?" Marinette asked as she placed the magic earrings onto her ears. She was surprised at how easily they stuck, she barely felt the needle go through her ear hole.

"It's called an Akuma." Tikki corrected.

"Akuma, okay." the girl repeated, "That should turn this guy, whoever he is, back to normal?"

"Yes, and once you do you have to capture it."

"Right, and the charm thingy, what was it again?"

"The Lucky Charm. It's your secret superpower, along with enhanced strength, flexibility and agility. You'll be able to do things you never could before!"

"Urg! All of this is going way too fast, Tikki, I'm…" Marinette sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, I just can't do it. Even if I do get all that stuff you said I'm not brave enough to fight a monster!"

"I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. I'll be with you throughout the whole thing, even if you can't see me. You might not believe in yourself right now, but _I_ do."

Marinette was still very hesitant, but most of all…she was scared. She was downright terrified. She couldn't do this, she knew she couldn't. Even if Tikki did believe in her.

"All you have to do now is say my name followed by "Spots On!"." Tikki explained.

"You mean like: "Tikki, Spots On"?"

"Yes, but before-Whoa!" before Tikki could explain anymore, the little Kwami was immediately sucked into the left sides earrings, which shimmered, changing from black to red, and five spots appeared on both earrings. The young girl felt a sudden wave of power overwhelm her body, her hair flew upwards as if by an invisible wind, frightening her all the more.

"What's happening?!" she cried out. Pink colored sparkles surrounded her body, and before long all she could see was pink. Her room faded from sight as her body began to change. Her muscles tensed, becoming firmer and she could feel her meek form shift into someone stronger, more confident and courageous. She felt like she could lift a person with ease over her shoulder if she wanted to. These new emotions frightened her.

She felt something tingle at her face, feeling something placed upon her eyes, like a mask of some kind and sparkles landed on her hair. Her cloths disappeared and she felt a new outfit magically placed upon her, covering her entire body from her neck down. Once the transformation was complete, the sparkles disappeared. Marinette's room was back, as if she never left, which she didn't. She turned around and gasped upon her new reflection on the full body mirror.

Her hair was no longer black with blue hues but was now instead a cobalt blue shade, removing any trace of black she once had. Her eyes remained the same, but her eyelashes became more definitive, almost as if she were wearing mascara, but not too much as to make her look cheep. A red mask was now on her face, rounded with black spots and a black outline, partly covering her cheek bones. Her full body suit was also red with red spots all over, minus a pact of black around the high collar of her neck, feet and hands. From her fingers to her elbow the suit was colored black as were her ankles. Around her waist was a rounded red colored object with red spots. She looked like a ladybug themed superhero. The earrings she had placed on were still present, but now resembled her entire new wardrobe, complete with black spots and all. Her pintails remained the same, only had grown but three inches more and her ribbons were now longer, almost resembling bug antennas.

Marinette was freaking out! Here she was wearing a full body superhero outfit which made her blush at the very feeling of wearing it. Her parents wouldn't even left her wear mini skirts, there was no way they would let her so much as go downstairs in this getup. And she wouldn't blame them. This girl in front of her looked beautiful and confident, which was not Marinette at all.

"How do I get out of this thing?!" Desperately, she tried to remove the mask, but to no avail. The thing appeared to be glued to her face. This must be magic. She grunted in frustration once she realized there was no way she could remove this outfit.

"Tikki, if you can hear me please change me back. I'm not going anywhere in this thing! Tikki? Hello?" Marinette tried calling out to the Kwami, but there was no response. She even tapped on her earrings, but still no response. "Great, what am I suppose to do now?" she asked herself.

The girl turned her attention towards the news once more, where the anchorwoman was giving the latest news on the creature's rampage.

"After destroying the Chatelet Tower, the creature, referring to himself as "Stoneheart" is now heading for the Tour Montparnasee!"

Marinette's eyes widened when she spotted a familiar image on the screen ridding a bike, following the creature.

"Oh, no. Alya!"

(~)

"You tub they'll be up to the challenge, Master?" Wayzz asked his human companion as he closed the lid on the box, containing only two remaining Miraculous jewels. A bee comb and a fox tail necklace.

Master Fu nodded his head, "I have made only one mistake in my life, Wayzz. I won't make another…"

(~)


	4. First day on the job

**First day on the job**

This was bad. This was very, very bad. Marinette didn't want to be a hero, but now it seemed as if she had no choice. She couldn't let her new friend get hurt. The police were helpless against this thing, and according to Tikki, she was the only one who could stop him.

"Marinette, you okay honey?"

Marinette squeaked in fear when she heard her mother's voice. She quickly placed her foot over the wooden door of her floor, preventing her mother to entering.

"Uh, yeah mom! I was just, uh…watching some television is all."

"I just wanted to let you know it's alright if you don't go back to school right now. According to the news there's this gigantic monster rampaging through the city. We're closing shop early today, so stay in your room okay?"

"Okay!" Marinette replied, managing to actually sound calm. Once she was certain her mother was gone, she breathed in a sigh of relief…right before panicking again. "What am I thinking? I can't do this! But I can't let that thing hurt Alya, or anyone else. What would Bridget do? What would Bridgett do?"

Marinette paced back and forth pathetically asking the same question over and over until she stopped to look at her sister's picture. She stopped on her tracks as the memory replayed in her mind.

…..

 _"It's going to be alright. Mash potatoes wash off." Bridget said as she cleaned her little sister's face. Thirteen-year-old Marinette didn't even respond. She just sat there, letting her sister help her clean up after the humiliating episode that day. She had to return home early after that. She wouldn't even talk to anybody._

 _"Mari, it's going to be okay." the older sister said, wiping away a tear that escaped her sister's eye._

 _"They were right." Marinette finally said, "I am just a klutz."_

 _"You are not a klutz! They're the ones who are making the biggest mistake. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend."_

 _"Lila didn't think so. I should have known it was too good to be true. Like a rich kid would ever be friends with me."_

 _Bridget lifted up the girl's chin, smiling her way. "That's her loss. Don't let Lila get to you. She doesn't get to decide who you are, nobody does. That's something you need to figure out yourself."_

 _"I wish I was as brave as you, Sis. You're not scared of anything"_

 _"Who said I'm not scared? I'm scared every day on the force."_

 _"Then, why do you keep doing it?"_

 _"Because I_ know _what I'm fighting for. I remind myself of that every day."_

… _._

Not only was that the day Marinette was humiliated in front of the entire school, and outcasted for so long, but it was also one of the very last meaningful conversations she and her sister had, because a month latter…she was gone.

But even so, the memory of her courage remained the same. Bridget placed the needs of others before herself. She knew what she was fighting for, and that was what motivated her. Now, Marinette had to do the same thing. Even if she was scared.

"Okay. I can do this….I hope." taking in a deep breath, Marinette slid the lid of the window on her roof, above her bed and walked out into her balcony, which was adorned with a few plants, a small wooden table, and a beach chair. She slipped out, not making a sound, and looked at the vast city before her, noticing a few broken buildings, lining in a trail. No doubt the creature would be easy to find.

"Okay, so I have superpowers now." Marinette said to herself. She pulled the rounded object from her waist, discovering it was a yo-yo. She arched an eyebrow in confusion. "And I have some kind of magic yo-yo…for some reason. Now, what was it Tikki said? It can be used as a grabbling hook too? Well, okay. Let's give it a try I guess."

With her heart beating fast against her chest, Marinette flung the yo-yo into the air, the rounded object wrapping itself around a gargoyle statue several blocks away. Marinette was astonished at the distance it went. A normal yo-yo could never do something like that.

"Wow! Okay, now what do I-WHOA!" after tugging on the string once, Marinette was suddenly pulled by the strong strong, holding on for her dear life and screamed upon seeing just how high up she really was.

(~)

Adrien walked on a long silvering staff, which extended from one rooftop to another, and he walked over it like a tightrope walker. The staff was his new magical weapon, which could grew as long as he wanted it to in order to leap over rooftops with ease. Adrien was especially astonished at his new enhanced reflexes and agility. He really was part cat now. His hearing and even smell had enhanced too. This must be how it felt for alley cats, being able to go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted. He wished this would never end. He even managed to get the balance on the staff perfectly.

"I could really get used to this." he said to himself, smiling happily like an excitable child playing with his new toy. He abruptly stopped on his tracks when his new enhanced hearing caught the sound of someone screaming. He looked up, his new cat ears perking in curiosity, and saw what appeared to be a red human flying in the air…and heading straight towards him!

Before Adrien could properly react, the human crashed into him, causing him to fall off of his staff and the yo-yo wrapped around it. Their bodies bounced in mid air for a few moments before finally stopping, now only swaying back and forth. Both humans were now tangled in the yo-yo's magic string.

Adrien took notice of the stranger who had crashed into him. A girl with cobalt colored hair wearing a ladybug outfit. Their faces were only inches away from one another as they dangled from the staff.

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance." he said lightheartedly.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to do it on purpose." Marinette replied, feeling her cheeks turn red in embarrassment. Even as a hero she was a flop. Marinette grunted as she tried to yank on the string in a desperate attempt to free them both, but to no avail.

"It's okay, I got it." using his new enhanced strength, Adrien managed to stretch out the string without breaking it and was able to get both of them out of the mess. The two cried out as they fell on the ground with a thud. They both groaned from the impact. Marinette rubbed her head, only to discover she was over the cat boy's over torso. Her cheeks flushed with red in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she said as she stood up and tried to pull the yo-yo off of the long staff.

Adrien dusted himself as he stood up, once again noticing the girl's costume. "Wait, ladybug outfit? You must be the partner my Kwami told me about!"

"Huh? Oh, right! And you must be that black cat partner my Kwami told me about. Nice to meet you, mr…?"

"Oh, right! My name is…um." it was then, Adrien realized he had not come up with a proper super hero name for himself. He was so anxious to leave the house that little detail had completely slipped his mind. He tapped his chin in thought, thinking on the perfect name for his alter ego.

Well, he was dressed as a black cat, maybe "Cat Boy"? No, that was lame. or "Black Cat", no not too creative. Unless…

"Chat Noir?" he whispered to himself, sounding it out. It was the french translation to black cat, and he was a black cat superhero in Paris, his homeland. It definitely fit.

"Yeah, I'm Chat Noir! And you are?"

"Me? I'm Ma-" Marinette began as she yanked on her yo-yo, which finally untangled from the staff, causing it to shrink down to the size of a baton. However, the yo-yo fell and landed hard on Chat Noir's head.

"OW!"

"Oops!" the poor girl blushed even harder, which was hidden due to her mask, as she watched her new partner rub his head while wincing in pain. "I'm…maladroit. Very, very maladroit." the poor girl said, holding her hands together like a shy little girl, not daring to meet the hero's gaze.

"First day on the job too, hu?" Chat Noir said once he picked up his now shrunken staff.

"Yeah, and if there was another option I'd be fired right now."

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it." the boy said kindly.

Before Marinette could respond the ground began to quack, causing the two to loose their balance, and Marinette to trip, only to be surprised when her new partner caught her in the nick of time. She was about to apologizes again until she noticed the position she was in. Her hands were placed on his chest, which felt incredibly strong, while his arms kept her steady, his hands placed on both her arms. She looked up at her new partner, who's eyes slightly widened in surprise. For a moment, he could have sworn he had seen those eyes somewhere before. As for Marinette, she couldn't help but feel flustered as the boy with hair as bright as the sunlight itself and haunting green emerald eyes looked down upon her. She could feel his pecks against her hands.

A loud roar was heard in the distance, getting the teen hero's attention and saw a building not too far ahead collapse. The two parted, the attention turning directly towards the commotion. Chat Noir took action and extended his staff, using it as a vaulting pole. He held onto the tip of the staff, which retracted as he rose upwards, only to retract back once he landed on a rooftop. This amazed Marinette. She fell on her first attempt at using the yo-yo and yet this guy managed to master his new weapon in minutes.

"Hey, where you going?!" she called out.

"To save, Paris!" Chat Noir replied back, "Come on, Ladybug!" he said before leaping away.

Marinette blinked at the name he had given her. Well, it was better than no superhero name at all. Besides, what other names could be call herself aside from "Bug Girl"? Didn't really have much a ring to it, did it?

"Okay, you can do this Marinette. Remember what you're fighting for." she said to herself. She spun the yo-yo rapidly and flung it forward, allowing it to reach the rooftop. Giving the string a gentle tug, she allowed herself to be carried away and leaped over the rooftops like her new partner.

The young girl screamed as she flew upwards, landing feet first onto the rooftop, finding her balance in a matter of seconds. She inspected her body, making sure all was still in tact. "I'm okay? I'm okay!"

"See? I told you it was easy." Chat Noir said, leaning against a chimney while twirling his 'tail'.

"Wait, you waited for me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course. A gentlemen always waits for a lady."

"This coming from the guy who left me hanging on the ground?" Marinette said sarcastically, while pointing which her hand where she once stood down bellow.

"My karate teacher always said; The best way to learn is by doing. That's how I managed my powers. Now come on, I know where the monster went!" Chat Noir ran across the rooftops of the apartment buildings, using his retractable staff to send him flying over them.

"This guy is full of surprises, isn't he?" Mari said to herself before following him. After a while, she was able to gain better control of her new abilities. In fact, it was actually kind of fun to run around at top speed with such ease, landing perfectly on her feet and moving at the speed of a ninja. It was unlike anything she had ever felt. She let out a happy cheer as she leaped up, using her yo-yo as a graveling hook every time.

"This is amazing!" she cried out, a smile grew on her face as the wind swept against her cobalt hair as Chat Noir ran beside her, now running on all fours like a cat. He too carried a smile on his face.

"I know, right?" he replied before giving a laugh as he speeded ahead. The two heroes gracefully soaring across the city in perfect sync. It was as if they were destined to work together.

Their joy quickly came to a screeching halt when they saw Stonheart smashing up the now empty cars of a parking lot. Not too far away from the park, Kim was on his way home, drinking a can of soda, only to suddenly spun round when he heard something roaring his name.

"KIIIIIIM!"

Kim's eyes widened in horror upon seeing a gigantic stone monster charming towards him. Finally, Stoneheart had found his victim.

"Who's the scaredy cat now, hu?!" the creature roared, causing Kim to scream even louder as he ran away in fear, the ground shaking with each step the stone monster took. One impact cause Kim to lose his balance and stumble.

Just as Stoneheart was about to grab him, a staff came in between him and his pray. Chat Noir came down, retracting his staff and resting it over his shoulder once he landed and helped the boy back up. "Get out of here!" he ordered. Kim nodded and ran as fast as he could, leaving only the hero and the monster. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?" Chat taunted with a smirk.

"You mean, like _you_?" Stoneheart roared and clenched his left hand fist, ready to punch the cat-like superhero. Chat Noir quickly jumped away from the impact. Stoneheart directed another punch but once again Chat managed to avoid it.

(~)

From his secret lair, HawkMoth laughed maniacally to himself, outstretching his arms in triumph. "Everything is going according to plan." he said to himself, his voice dripping with pride. "The Miraculous of the Black Cat and Ladybug have returned and have rushed to protect the innocent. With Stoneheart under my control, the ultimate power shall be mine!"

(~)

Stoneheart directed another punch, to which again Chat Noir avoided. Seeing his chance, the hero jumped up high, wielding his staff like a sword and striking the monster on his back. He flipped over and landed from behind the beast, who then began to glow a bright yellow, increasing in size, much to Chat Noir's shock. His hit only made him grow larger, and by the looks of it, stronger and angrier.

"Uh, Ladybug, whenever you're ready!" Chat cried out before once again jumping away from Stoneheart's attack.

From the rooftop of one of the apartments that surrounded the park, Marinette's knees trembled in fear. That creature was ginormous, not to mention powerful and scary. She had already mastered control over her yo-yo and new agility, but there was no way she could fight this thing. She may be stronger now, but she was still just a scrawny little girl.

"I can't do this, I can't do this…" she whipped, burying her face into her hands. She peeked through her fingers, witnessing Stoneheart pull off the the fountaint's statue of the goddess Aphrodite, and hurled it towards Chat. The statue missed and was aiming directly at someone else who had arrived at the scene, ducking from behind a park bench and recording everything with her cellphone.

Marinette's eyes widened in horror. It was Alya!

The statue was about to crush her. Seeing this, Chat Noir acted fast and hurled his staff directly at the statue. The staff extended in length landing in between two park trees, the moment the statue hovered above Alya. The girl shielded herself with her arms, expecting an impact that never came. The statue bounced right off of the staff like rubber and smashed into the ground, breaking apart.

Marinette couldn't believe it. Chat Noir just saved Alya's life. He acted fast without hesitation. _That_ was a true hero. She always appreciated a selfless act, and this boy most definitely showcased it. He was so…heroic, and brave, and strong and…kind of cute, despite his dark mask.

Marinette was awoken from her thoughts once Stoneheart grabbed Chat Noir in his powerful grip, ready to crush him. What could Marinette do? What should she do? Just jump into action and do what, show him a yo-yo trick? How could she use a yo-yo for a weapon to fight anyway?

"What are you waiting for, Ladybug girl?!" Alya called out from down bellow, grabbing Marinette's attention, "Your partner needs you!"

She was right, Chat did need her. It was then, her sister's words rang in her head. _"I_ know _what I'm fighting for."_ Marinette shut her eyes for a moment, focusing on ignoring her anxiety and fears before opening them again. Her eyes now filled with determination as she clenched her yo-yo. She was not about to let this monster hurt her partner.

Taking a step forward, Marinette leaped from the rooftop and hurtled her yo-yo at Stoneheart, directly at his feet, wrapping the string around them and surprising the beast as Marinette slid from underneath him, screeching to a halt, holding her yo-yo while smiling confidently.

"Didn't anyone every tell you animal cruelty is wrong?" she said, for the first time in her life, she sounded confident. She felt confident. She pulled on her yo-yo, causing Stoneheart to fall on his back, releasing Chat Noir in the process.

"Yes!" Alya cheered from the sidelines.

Ladybug turned her head, addressing to Alya. "You need to get out of here! It's not safe!" he ordered.

"No way! When am I ever going to get another chance to witness a real superhero fight?" Alya said, her eyes sparkling with interest as she aimed her phone at Ladybug, recoding her.

"If you don't leave now, you'll never get another chance for anything ever again!" Ladybug said seriously, to which Alya only crossed her arms.

"Promise me an interview afterwords and I'll leave." the girl said firmly.

"Okay fine! Just go now! I'm not asking twice!" even Marinette herself was amazed at how demanding she just was. Alya finally complied and wan away from the scene. Ladybug released Stoneheart, retracting her yo-yo back once Chat Noir came to her side.

"Nice use with that yo-yo." he said, pointing at the rounded object.

"Thanks. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it." she said with pride. The two gasped when Stoneheart roared and pulled a park tree from the ground, throwing it their way.

"Look out!" Chat Noir quickly pushed Ladybug out of the way, right before the tree made impact with the ground. The two rolled on the ground and once they stopped, Ladybug noticed she was once again on top of him, their faces only inches apart. Both of them blushed. "We really got to stop bumping into each other like this." Chat said, chuckling nervously.

Stoneheart roared once again, prompting the two teens to hurry back onto their feet, brushing the moment aside for now. Stoneheart clenched his left hand fist, ready to attack the two. Chat leaped away, while Ladybug just ran away. The fist collided with the ground, causing it to shake and Ladybug fell down once more. Stoneheart aimed directly at Ladybug once he saw she was down and readied to smash her with another tree he yanked off.

Chat Noir readied his stance, holding his staff, while Ladybug… froze.

As the fist came at them, time slowed still in her eyes. Marinette could feel the wind and the stone closing in on her face. The impact had yet to arrive and yet she could already feel the pain that would no doubt come with it once it did. This creature could no doubt end her life right here and there, just like…

The sound of gunshots sounded off in her head. The whaling cries of her mother when the last bullet was shot. Her vision became painted with red, she couldn't seethe rock fist anymore, all she saw was blood and death. Her vision became foggy, time speeded up, she knew she had to move but her body failed to respond.

Chat Noir once again stood in between her and the creature, using his staff to hold him off, angering the creature. "Ladybug, wake up!" he screamed. " _Wake up!_ " only did his finally cry get through to her. Marinette rapidly shook her head, returning back to reality. He quickly grabbed her by the arm and led her away from the sight. He could feel the poor girl trembling against his chest. There was no way she could fight in this condition. He could continued to fight off the creature himself, but if he did he old no doubt be defeated. He was already growing tired and any strike he'd give him would only make him stronger.

As much as he hatted to admit it, they had to get out of there. If they stayed, Ladybug would either pass out or be helpless against the creature. He had to get her somewhere safe. Using his staff, he shot them both onto the rooftops, leaving Stoneheart to continue his rampage across the city.

Once he was sure they were in far enough distance, Chat rested his partner against a chimney. The girl was hyperventilating, her face was pale and her eyes were wide and her irises shrunken, as if she had seen a ghost or witnessed a horrifying display of violence. Chat Noir's first instinct was to try and sooth the petrified girl.

"Ladybug, calm down. It's okay, it's gonna be okay." he said, speaking in a soothing voice filled with compassion and sympathy.

"Stoneheart." she said in between her breathing, "He's…still…"

"Take it easy. Breath." he instructed her by breathing in and out himself, to which she slowly mimics, but her gaze was still frozen with her hand over her heart, feeling its strong fast beating. Chat placed his hand under her chin, lifting it up to face him. "Look at me, look at me." he said, gently lifting her gaze towards his.

Marinette noticed his eyes no longer looked like cat-slits anymore, but his irises increasing a bit, making his eyes look more human. He smiled softly, his kind gaze slowly putting her nerves at ease. She focused only on him, following his example in taking slow deep breaths. She blinked, her eyes returning to normal and her heart rate stabilizing again.

"It's okay. You're fine." Chat Noir said, placing his hands on her arms, gently rubbing them while moving his hands up and down. Once she had finally stabilized her mind went back to Stoneheart. He was still attacking the city, and all because of her. One punch and she was frozen solid. The reality of danger and death caused her to panic and cower yet again. She felt so humiliated. She finally broke her gaze at Chat Noir and looked down in shame.

"I'm not fine." she said in dismay, "I froze. I was too scared." tears rolled down from her eyes, followed by sobbing. "I can't do anything!" she cried out, hiding her face with her hands.

Seeing this poor girl be so frightened really tore Chat's heart apart. He hatted seeing people so broken hearted. His mother was same way, anyone suffering brought so much sadness to her heart just as it did for him. He didn't blame her for being so upset, she was just as new to all of this as he was, he shouldn't have expected everyone to react the same way he did when he got his powers.

"Take it easy, you didn't mess up, we can still win this." he said, smiling in reassurance, but Ladybug kept on crying.

"Didn't you hear what I said?!" she yelled angrily, tears still streaming from her eyes, "I messed up! Stoneheart is still out there and it's all because of me! Don't you see? I'm no hero, I'm not cut out for this! You be the hero, you're better at it than me!"

"Don't say that. The kwami's said we need to work together."

"The kwami was wrong! I never should have been chosen! I never wanted to do this!"

"Then why did you come in the first place?" he asked, more so curiously than anything.

Ladybug wiped a few more tears from her eyes. "I came to try and save my friend." she confessed, making Chat's eyes widen in surprise. He then remembered that girl from before. She must have been the friend she was talking about. She was definitely anxious about her leaving the scene, and she was the only other person left at the park.

"But I failed. I'm no hero, I'm a coward, don't you get it?!" Ladybug spatted once more burying her face into her hands, crying once more. "Just go on without me. Please."

Chat bit his bottom lip. He couldn't leave her like this, not just because of Stoneheart, but because he couldn't leave this poor girl to suffer. Her reacting so negatively and so powerfully to one slip up reminded him of when that girl Marinette left school in the middle of the day after just one accident. Maybe it wasn't the accident itself, but what it meant to them. Adrian couldn't help Marinette with her problem and it seemed he wouldn't have wanted his help, but Ladybug was now his partner. He knew he could help her. He wanted to help her.

Ladybug was rather surprised when Chat wiped away her tears, his hand brushing against her skin. "I'm not leaving you." he said. His words causing Marinette's heart to leap, but not out of anxiety. "You might not think you're a hero, but you're definitely more of one than I am."

"What are you talking about? You mastered your powers better than I did."

"I only put on this Miraculous because I wanted to leave my house." Chat said, showcasing his miraculous ring, "But you, you put on yours just save your friend. That's what a real hero does, placing others before herself."

For a moment, Marinette could have sworn she had heard something similar before. Her sister. She always placed others before herself. Then again, look where that made her end up. What if the same happened to her as well?

Marinette opened her mouth to speak, she was silent for a moment before replying. "I'm scared."

"I know you are, to be honest, I am too. All I really know about superheroes is from comics books, but this isn't a comic. This is real. And we're a real team, and teammates never leave each other behind."

"You…you really think we're a team?"

"Of course. The Miraculous choose us for a reason, and I believe it. You know, someone I care about always used to say; "No greater love is he who gives his life for his friends."

Marinette was now at a definite loss for words. Chat Noir truly was a hero in her eyes, not because of his costume or powers, but because he went out of his way to take her away from the danger zone just to make sure she would be alright. He sacrificed the mission to tend to her needs. No one else aside from her family has ever done that for her. She could look into his eyes and she could tell his words were true. Her mind went back to Stoneheart and all those people still in danger. She couldn't let them all suffer. Suddenly, the desire to protect those innocent people overwhelmed her. Chat Noir was willing to make a sacrifice, now she had to do the same. Maybe they were meant to be partners after all.

"Just trust me, okay?" Chat Noir waited patiently for her reply.

Ladybug smiled. "Okay." she nodded her head and Chat Noir helped her to stand back up.

"Whenever you get scared, just know I'm right there beside you." said Chat while holding Ladybug's hand as she stood up. She gazed into his eyes. His warm, emerald green eyes that radiated with honesty and compassion. He truly wasn't like any other guy she had ever met.

Regardless of the fact that he hid part of his face, Chat Noir didn't seem to hold back from being honest. Whoever was behind that mask, Marinette knew she could trust him.

(~)

Stoneheart continued his rampage, and Alya followed him on her bike. She may have told that ladybug themed superhero she would leave the park, but she never did say she'd leave entirely. Leave it to Alya to be incredibly sneaky in order to get what she wants.

The two heroes followed the monster, who was tossing over various empty busses. Stoneheart lifted one of the busses over his head. "KIIIIIM! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Kim's not here right now, can we take a message?"

Stoneheart turned his head to see Chat Noir and Ladybug standing before him. Chat smiled at his cheeky remark, resting his staff over his shoulder, while Ladybug spun her yo-yo, her eyes looking sternly at the beast.

"You again?!"

"Aww, miss us already?" Chat joked once more.

"Is this going to be your thing?" Ladybug asked with an amused smirk, "Making jokes left and right."

"Only on a good day." he replied with a wink, only to wince once they felt the ground shake as Stoneheart threw the buss at the two.

"Let's just hope this is one of them!" Ladybug cried out right before the two ran ahead, both taking opposite directions and meeting up again behind the creature. "Any ideas?"

"All I know is that we can't hit him." Chat explained, "Any impact he takes just makes him bigger."

"Good observation. We need to think of a different approach." she said, right before the two jumped out of the way from another incoming car. The two leaped away and hid behind an empty car. "My kwami told me we need to break the object that has his Akuma in it. It's what turned him evil."

"Okay, but I don't see anything on him. Do you?" Chat said as Stoneheart roared.

Ladybug poked her head from behind the car, squinting her eyes. As she observed, she noticed something she never did before. Stoneheart only used his left hand for most of his attacks, and not his right. His right fight remained closed all throughout the battle. The object must be in his fist, what other explanation could there be?

"Chat, look at his right hand. He's keeping it closed, he never once opens it. The Akuma's not on him, it's hidden in his fist."

"Looks like I'm not the only one with a good eye." he said. "And I know just what to do. I've waiting to use it all day!" Chat smiled confidently, raising his hand upwards, the grown paw print on his ring glowed brightly as he cried out, "Cataclysm!" a black energy spear appeared on his palm before he closed it, and black particles swarmed around his left hand. "Pretty cool right? It allows me to destroy anything I touch. Check it out!"

"No, Chat wait!" Ladybug exclaimed, but it was too late. Chat had already used his ability to destroy a nearby lamp post. Upon his touch, the object turned gray and crumbled to pieces.

"Cool! Time to say goodbye to the Walking Rock!"

Ladybug arched an eyebrow. "Seriously? You're using _that_ reference?"

"They can't all be winners." Chat said right before running towards Stoneheart and leaped at the monster, using his staff as support. He landed right on his head, and placed his hand right on Stoneheart's right arm. But, nothing happened. Chat's cat ears lowered in horror and Stoneheart grabbed him and threw him against the car he and Ladybug hid behind. The cat boy groaned, feeling delirious.

"I'm guessing it's a one time thing." he said before shaking his head rapidly to regain full consciousness.

Ladybug walked out to help him back up. "You can only use your special attack once. After that, you only have five minutes before you change back. Didn't your kwami tell you this?"

"Must have slipped his mind." Chat said, making a mental note to confront Plagg about this.

"Okay then, my turn." Ladybug threw her yo-yo into the air while shouting, "Lucky Charm!" her yo-yo spun around above her head, releasing a ray of pretty red hearts, then out of thin air a red and black object appeared, landing on Marinette's hand. It was rather small and round. She flipped the lid to find the reflective surface within. She arched an eyebrow.

"A makeup compact?"

Chat looked at it curiously, "Uh, you sure you said it right?"

"I'm pretty sure." Ladybug said, though even she didn't know what she would need a compact for. And now she had to think fast, not only was Stoneheart approaching, but she now only had five minutes before she reverted back to normal. She looked at Stoneheart's fist, she knew the Akuma was in there, she just needed to get him to open it, but how. She looked over at Chat Noir, then back at Stoneheart, noticing the hand he mostly used. The gears in her mind were working overtime and she finally came up with an idea.

"I got it! Chat Noir, I'm really sorry."

"What are you so sorry abo-Whao!" before Chat could properly reply, Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around his legs, much to his surprise. Then, using all of her newly acquired physical strength, she spun the boy around rapidly before sending him flying toward Stoneheart, who grabbed him in his left hand. Ladybug leaped onto a lamp post, noticing the shadows of the day, trying to find the right angel from which to stand. Once she had it, she leaped forward, "You'll never catch me!" he called out, observing as Stoneheeart opened his right hand, releasing the purple object which contained his Akuma. At the right moment, Marinette used the compact to reflect the sun's rays at Stoneheart, causing him to shield his eyes from the light, releasing Chat Noir in the process. Seeing her chance, she rushed over to the purple object, smashing it with her foot. A black colored butterfly emerged from the object and Ladybug quickly squashed it against her hands. However, the butterfly did not die but rather its wings became torn as it flew away like a weakened moth.

Black ooze surrounded Stoneheart's body, the rocks crumbled and fell to the ground to reveal Ivan, rubbing his head, looking delirious. He had no memory of the events that happened. The broken purpled object also became covered in black ooze before turning back into a crumbled piece of paper. The rocks around Ivan disappeared into thin air.

"Wha…what happened?" Ivan asked, looking at the two heroes before him. "What am I doing here?"

"You don't remember anything?" Ladybug asked.

"No, I don't." Ivan rubbed his head as he stood back up and headed towards the still in tact cafe to get himself a drink of water.

A smile grew on Chat Noir's face and he jumped for joy, ponding his fist into the air. "Whoohoo! That was awesome! You were incredible!" he said to Ladybug, acting like an excitable child, "That was some serious fast thinking you came up with there, I can't-I mean-wow! We actually did it! We stopped a villain!" Ladybug blinked when Chat started doing a victory dance and moon walking. "Oh yeah! We did it, we're awesome, we rocked it, we-"

Chat quickly stopped once he noticed Ladybug blinking, standing perfectly calm while he was jumping up and down and talking like an excitable little child. Most of the time he had to act composed and dignified to maintain that flawless super model image, but now he was taking every chance he had to express himself. He blinked and quickly composed himself, feeling a tad embarrassed to be acting this way in front of a girl. "Uh, sorry. Got a little carried away there."

A smile grew on Ladybug's face and she started laughing. At first, it was soft and quiet, but then it grew louder and she tilted her head back, laughing out out. Chat was rather taken by surprise by her reaction. He was sure she'd think he was acting like a dork, but she…actually found it funny? Did he…actually make someone laugh? A few moments ago, this girl was paralyzed with fear and now she was enjoying herself, even if it was at his expense. But he really didn't mind.

"Are you…laughing?" he asked, making sure he wasn't just seeing things.

Once she realized what she was doing, Ladybug quickly covered her mouth, "What? No! I mean-yes, I was but, at you-I mean, no _not_ at you, I mean-Wait, why am I stuttering?"

"No, no it's fine!" Chat said, raising his hands up to ease her worry. "It's just I've never made anyone laugh before. I-In a good way, I mean." Chat could feel his face blush as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. Ladybug found this gesture incredibly adorable and let out a giggle. The cutest giggle Chat had ever heard.

"I like hearing you laugh." he said out loud, which only made Ladybug blush harder. Chat shook his head rapidly once he realized what he just said. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Thank you, Chat." said Ladybug, walking a bit closer to him while rubbing her arm shyly. "Thanks for not giving up on me."

"Hey, no sweat. We're partners now, right?"

"Right!"

Partners. She liked the sound of that. She liked it a lot. The two clinched their teamwork with a fist pump, only to realize that Chat's ring was already blinking, showing he only had one pad left on his green cat paw, indicating his time was nearly up.

He really wish it didn't have to end. He didn't want to say goodbye to his new friend just yet, and neither did Ladybug. But it won't be long before her time runs out as well.

"You should go." she said, trying to hide her disappointment. "Nobody can know who we are."

"Not even…us?" he asked, rather hopefully.

Should they know who they are behind the mask? They had only just met, and personally Marinette wasn't ready for him to know who she was, at least not yet. And Adrian wasn't too keen on exposing who he was either. He wanted Ladybug to like him for him, not his rich name and status.

"Maybe it's best we don't." Ladybug finally said.

"Yeah. You're probably right." Chat then took Ladybug's hand and kissed the top of it, making her heart skip a beat. "Until we meet again, My Lady." he gave her a princely bow before running off to leap over the building of Paris like the hero he was.

As she watched him leave, Marinette held the hand he kissed close to her heart, still feeling his lips against it. She sighed dreamily, still looking in the direction from which her dashing black cat had disappeared to.

"Till we meet again." she said in a soft whisper, practically swooning. The sound of crumbled paper against her fingers snapped her back to reality and she opened the paper, reading the words out loud. "You're not even man enough to tell Mylene how you really feel, you chicken…"

The sound of a bell made Ladybug turn her head to see Ivan walk out of the cafe with a bottle of water, looking so depressed. Marinette's compassionate heart compelled her to walk on over to him. The saddened boy sat on the sidewalk, surprised to see the heroine from before. She showed him the piece of paper he had been carrying this whole time.

"Who wrote this to you?" she asked.

"It was this guy from my class, Kim. He's always making fun of me."

Ladybug sat beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She knew better than anyone how it felt to get teased over practically anything. This must have been what caused Ivan to get Akumatized. "You know, you don't have to get yourself worked up over this." she said kindly. "There's nothing wrong with liking someone, and telling them how you feel. Besides, Kim doesn't get to decide who you are, nobody does."

"How did you know his name was Kim?"

Ladybuy's eyes widened in horror at her slip up. She laughed nervously until another familiar voice was heard.

"Unbelievable, incredible, fabulous!" Alya stood there, recording with her phone, "I saw the whole thing! You were kick-butt amazing! So, does this mean you're Pari's newest superhero, or are you just here on important hero business? Where did you get your powers from? Were you bitten by a eradicative ladybug?"

The moment Marinette heard the beeping sound coming from her earrings, she knew that was her cue to leave. "Um, I'd really love to stay and answer your questions but I really should be going. Important superhero business and all that." she said with a light chuckle as she made her leave.

"Wait! Can we at least know your name?"

Marinette turned around and smiled. She knew exactly what to say. "Ladybug. Call me Ladybug." she said with a wink and a salute before throwing her yo-yo and leaping across the rooftops just like Chat.

It seemed fitting to keep the name he gave her, since she probably wouldn't have been able to stop Stoneheart if he hasn't saved her first.

She really hoped she would see him again. Soon.

(~)


	5. Behind the Mask

**Behind the Mask**

Marinette arrived safely home, after such a wild and crazy experience she was looking forward to a nice home cooked meal with her parents. After closing the lid of her roof window the very last black dot on her earrings blinked before disappearing. Her body was submerged in pink light, making her close her eyes. Once she opened them she felt as if she had never left her room. Her cloths were back and she felt like nothing had changed. She blinked and shook her head in disbelief.

"Whoa. Was…was that all a dream?" she asked herself.

"No, it wasn't" Tikki said, appearing before the young girl and nuzzling against her cheek. "You were fantastic, Marinette! I knew you could do it."

"I did, didn't I? I never knew I had it in me!"

"You're a lot braver than you know, Marinette."

"Oh my gosh, did you see me out there? With my yo-yo and lucky charm powers! And the way I jumped over the rooftops? It was incredible! Me and Chat we-" she briefly stopped herself, recalling the events that happened between her and the masked superhero. His beautiful kind eyes appeared in her mind, almost as if he were still gazing into her own. She touched the top of the hand he had kissed, remembering the sensation of his lips upon it. She may had managed to stop Stoneheart, but she never would have found the courage had it not been for him. He helped remind her what she was supposed to be fighting for, and that was what gave her the courage to stop Stoneheart and save Ivan.

"Chat Noir…he's amazing." she said, holding her hands close to her heart.

"You two make a great team." Tikki commented, while Marinette sat on the side of her bed, gazing at the hand he had kissed.

No boy had ever kissed her hand before. In some occasions, it would be a pathetic attempt at flirting by pretending to be a gentlemen. But the way Chat did it, it was so sweet and genuinely kind. There were no pretenses with him. Everything about him, from his heroic deeds, his kind voice, his warm eyes, even to his dorky puns and funny little dance, it all seemed so…real. He stayed by her side throughout her breakdown. She would never forget it, and she didn't want to either. Just the thought of him made Marinette feel warm and secure.

 _"Until we meet again, My Lady."_ his words rang in her ears, making her cheeks turn red She really hoped they would meet again. Very soon.

"Marinette! Time for dinner!"

The sound of her father's voice was enough to wake Marinette from her thoughts of the dashing superhero. "Coming, Dad!" she called out then turned her attention back to Tikki. "You stay up here, okay?"

"Sure, but could you get me something to eat, please? You're going to have to bring food along when your powers run out. We kwamis need to eat to re energize ourselves."

"Sure, what would you like?"

"Something light. Maybe a small fruit like a berry, or slice of apple or-Oh! Do you have chocolate chip cookies?"

"We own a bakery, there are plenty of those lying around."

Tikki giggled and did an adorable little backflip in midair. "Thank you, Marinette!"

(~)

Marinette walked down to the kitchen to sit with her family. Her mother made them a delicious vegetarian meal, which was good for Marinette since she was a vegetarian. "So, how are you feeling dear?" her mother asked.

"I'm feeling a lot better now, thanks." her daughter replied with a bright smile. She really did feel good. After the fight with Stoneheart she felt refreshed, like there was nothing she couldn't do now. She had never felt this amazing in all of her life.

"Oh hey, you got the pizza stain out."

"Huh?" Marinette looked at her white shirt, her eyes widening in surprise to see her pizza stain was now completely gone. It must have happened when after she reverted back to normal. Guess this magic stuff really did come in handy. "Oh, yeah. I guess I did."

The family turned their attention to the television in the living room, where the news anchorwoman showcased a photograph taken by a student's cell phone. Marinette let out a silent gasp to see it was her jumping over the rooftops. There were two images actually, one of Chat Noir leaping over rooftops and herself.

"Earlier today, a local high school student who was witness to the monster attack had this to say." Said the news anchor woman.

Alya appeared on the screen, speaking into the news reporter's microphone. "It was unbelievable! They just came out of nowhere, a guy in a cat outfit and a girl dressed as a ladybug. I recorded the whole thing on my phone!" she said, showcasing her phone which replayed the battle entirely. Marinette caught a glimpse of herself fighting the monster.

Was that really her? Was she that girl fearlessly leaping over rooftops and defeating that monster with just a compact mirror? Even she could barely tell, her red mask with black spots and red outline covered most of her face, and her hair looked more manageable, flawless even, it never got messed up, not to mention it was a few subtle inches longer and completely cobalt blue with no traces of her raven locks anywhere. Even her thicker and elegant eyelashes hid her identity, even if her eyes remained exactly the same. Her bangs, which were normally styled to the left side of her head, were now on the right, perfectly combed unlike her casually messy ones, and were also slightly longer. She was grateful her parents didn't notice the similarities. Her attention reverted back to Chat Noir, bravely fighting at her side like the loyal partner he was.

The scene changed to show the mayor holding yet another press conference, publicly thanking their newest saviors.

(~)

"It is with immense joy that I announce to you that we will be organizing a grand celebration party in honor of the city's newest protectors; Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Adrien was at a loss for words. He was a real superhero. He had powers, he saved lives, he even had a partner with which to share this experience with. This was so incredibly unreal, yet it was. He actually had a life away from his predictable one. For one moment, he was free to be somebody else. And not just anybody else…himself!

When the mayor mentioned Ladybug his thoughts drifted back to that moment on the rooftop. The petrified fear in her eyes was something he would never forget. Before that, he was more excited to play hero that he almost didn't fully realize it came with a big responsibility. All his life, his focus was on his modeling career and his dad's approval. But this time, he had a chance to do something for others. Helping Ladybug with her insecurities made him realize what a true hero really was. Just like his mother always told him, a true friend places another's needs before their own. He was so disappointed at his early selfishness, but now he knew exactly what it was he needed to do. He risked a lot by taking Ladybug away from the battle scene in order to comfort her, and he would do it again.

That girl was a lot more than meets the eye. Regardless of her own insecurities, she carried a lot of bravery and kindness in her heart. She put on the outfit to help a friend, _that_ was her motivation which became his own. He was so happy he could help her, it really broke his heart to see that poor girl so frightened. He wondered what could have happened to cause her so much grief and pain but he won't push her into telling him what that was. He knew he couldn't? tell people of his mother upon first meeting. It was still hard for him to talk about to anyone, even to his own dad.

A smile grew on his face as he remembered her laugh. Her laugh was so pure and beautiful like the sound of jingling bells that brought him so much joy to hear. He would give anything to hear her laugh once more, even if it means doing that dorky dance he did. When he became Chat Noir, he felt free to be his truest self, to the point he might have gotten a bit carried away there. But he was glad he did. It was worth it to make that girl laugh. She really needed it.

Not only was she sweet and adorable, but clever as a whip. She came up with such a fast idea faster than he could count. When she really wanted to, she thought on her feet. She was so much stronger than she looked.

It was then he realized, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Their first meeting as partners wasn't what neither of them had expected, Adrien certainly knew Ladybug wasn't…and he was happy for that. Underneath that mask, she was still human. A human with her own situations, feelings and complexity just like him. Normally, masks were made to hide a person's true self, but in this case…the mask was revealing more than either of them thought. Adrien had a strong feeling they would see each other again, and he couldn't wait.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir." he said, smiling to himself as he repeated the mayor's words. "I like the sound of that."

"Yuck! You really expect me to eat _this?!_ " Plagg complained, holding a little ice cream sunday in his little paws before tossing it aside. Adrien had a line of silver trays with silver lids on them, each one containing a variety of delicious gourmet food. None of which satisfied the kwami's hunger.

"What are you talking about? My personal chef made all this."

"Look, if you expect me to regenerate after a battle I'm gonna need something more delicate."

Adrien sighed in exasperation. This kwami was not going to be an easy little pixie to deal with. "Okay, fine. What do you want then?"

(~)

The now weakened Akuma butterfly flew into its master's window, black ooze dripping from its wings as it landed on HawkMoth's staff. The man growled in frustration and gently stroked his creation's broken wing.

"Fear not, little one. Soon, your strength shall return and you will have your meal once more."

(~)

Marinette couldn't stop replaying the footage that was on the news. She kept on watching both herself and Chat Noir face off against Stoneheart. "Is that really me?" she asked out loud.

"It sure is." Tikki said, smiling proudly. "You really were amazing."

"I still have a hard time believe it. I'm so…powerful and graceful just like…"

"Your sister?"

Marinette paused the video for a moment and closed the screen, clicking on another document on her laptop. She clicked on the folder that read "home videos" and clicked on. An image filled the screen, showing a recording from one of their earliest Christmas mornings. Marinette was twelve-years-old while Bridget was twenty two. A smile appeared on Mari's face as she watched her big sister giving her younger self the beautifully wrapped box. Little Marinette's eyes sparkled with glee when she open her present: a brand new designer's kit. She hugged her big sis tightly around her waist and Bridget kissed her little sister's forehead softly. She repetitively said thanks, making her family laugh. A tear escaped her eyes when her younger self handed her sister her present. Bridgett's blue eyes sparkled at seeing her little sister designed her her own police hat, with Bridgett's name cleverly adorned on the side to make it look like a decorative pattern. The older sister cried tears of joy as she hugged her talented little sister, playfully messing up her hair in the process.

A tear rolled down from Marinette's eye as she watched the happy scene unfurled before her. She would give anything to feel her sister's arms wrapped around her once more. To feel her kisses upon her head, to hear her voice right beside her. Tikki kindly wiped away her tears, looking at her master with sympathy.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette." the little kwami said.

Mari wiped away her tears, not saying another word as they both watched the video together. Tikki rested on Marinette's head, silently keeping her company as the young teenager relived the good old days.

(~)

Adrien laid on his bed, also replaying the video from the news on his phone. As amazing as it was to see himself in action, his eyes kept drifting back to Ladybug. She really was amazing. The boy was interrupted from his thoughts when a knock on the door was heard. Plagg quickly hid behind the game consoles just as the door opened up. Adrian hid his phone after putting the video on pause and stood up as his father walked in.

"Hey, dad."

"Good evening, son." Gabriel said. His voice sounded dead serious, which wasn't really anything new, but tonight he sounded almost…concerned. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about you disobeying me today."

"I'm sorry I did, but-" Adrien was quickly silenced when his father raised his hand up.

"I should have expected you to be curious about school life, and I don't blame you. Your mother was always the curious type as well." for a moment, Adrien could have sworn he saw a hint of softness in his father's eyes, but it quickly faded. "So tell me, how was it?"

"You're…actually asking me about my day?"

"Yes, I am."

Adrien was at a loss for words. His father had never asked him about his day before, at least not when it didn't involve his modeling job or stuff like that. This all seemed way too good to be true. Was this even real? Was he dreaming? There had to be a catch, this wasn't anything like his father.

"Well? Go ahead." Gabriel insisted, keeping his hands behind his back, looking dignified.

"Uh, well…okay. It was…great!" Adrien said, though the tone of his voice said otherwise. He really wanted his father to believe it was the time of his life but in reality…it wasn't. "The classes were great, everybody there is really nice and friendly and-"

"And what about that girl?" Gabriel interrupted.

"Girl? What are you talking about?"

"Nathalie told me she saw you talking to a young girl when she found you. She appeared to be yelling at you, is that right?"

Adrien knew his father was talking about Marinette after she had fallen and the pizza sauce got all over her shirt after Chloe's little stunt. Adrian tried his best to hide his disappointment. "Oh, _that_? No! It was just a little misunderstanding is all." he said with a slight nervous chuckle. Gabriel's gaze made the young boy quiver. Facing a stone monster was no problem, but his father…that was a whole other story.

"Did she disrespect you?" his father asked.

"No, of course not. It was just an accident. Chloe, she-"

"I've heard enough." Gabriel interrupted once again. "Don't you see, Adrien? This is exactly why I didn't want you going to school." Gabriel walked pass Adrien and towards the window, gazing at his reflection and the nighttime city before him. "You're the face every Parisian sees on the streets. People love you, and with great adoration can come great envy. I should know. I only do this to keep you safe." Gabriel turned around to face his son, who looked up at his father rather fearfully. "As much as you wish to be like other kids, you just can't."

"But what if I _want_ to?" the boy replied, "What if I want to be like others kids? What if-"

"Enough!" Gabriel shouted, causing his son to back away. Adrien never liked negotiating with his father, no matter how difficult he could get. He knew the man had gone through a lot of pain ever since his mother disappeared. His overprotectiveness was no doubt to make sure the same thing that happened to her didn't happen to him. But even if he understood this, it still wasn't fair that he had to be so unhappy. Especially with the fact that his father was always so distant and barely showed him any love and affection.

Gabriel recollected himself and sighed. "You are not allowed to go back to that school, do you understand me?"

Adrien couldn't even look at his father in the eye, but he still replied. "Yes sir."

Gabriel nodded his head and walked towards the door until Adrien spoke again, "But you can't keep me here forever." he said, not turning around to face him while clenching his fists tightly. Gabriel did not say a word as he closed the door behind him, leaving his son alone to sulk.

Plagg came out of his hiding spot and hovered beside the saddened boy. His little cat ears lowering in sympathy. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Whatever." Adrien replied, speaking in a monotone voice.

"No offense, but your dad's a real killjoy." Plagg said.

Adrien clenched his fists and walked over towards the window, gazing out at the city filled with nights, illuminating the night sky. It wasn't rare that he would speak up to his father, but after facing that rock monster, he found some bit of courage within him to speak up, even if it didn't change much. Over the years, he had learned to hold his tongue in the presence of his father. But while he still loved him he hated being a bird in a cage. On a night such as this, all he could do was watch the outside world from the safety of his home, but now…now he had a choice.

Plagg could sense there was something running through this boy's mind. "Uh, Adrien? What are you thinking?"

"Plagg…Claws out!"

(~)

Tikki has seen a lot of things in her lifetime. One of them was the love between family. Especially sisters. She's seen them go the extra mile, risking their lives even just to keep each other safe. Even if some of them fought and argued, even some ended their bonds either because of a man or anything else, but those who did not commit such mistakes, their bonds were strong and powerful. The kwami knew the love Marinette felt for her sister was true and strong, even long after her death. The young girl had spent most of the night watching home videos of her sister, but the kwami knew they were not helping her right now. As important as it was for her to never forget her past, it was also just as important to look forwards. The kwami hovered before the girl, her back to the computer scene.

"You know, you're a lot like your sister." she said to the surprised teen. The kwami closed the home video window and reopened the video of Marinette and Chat Noir fighting Stoneheart. "You have her same courage, selflessness and cleverness. You're more like her than you realize, Marinette. No matter where you go, and no matter what you do, she's always with you. Her spirit resides in you. If there is anything I've learned over the centuries, is that love can bring out the best in people. Your sister's love always brought out the best in you, and you can carry on her legacy. I know that's what you really want."

"I do." Marinette said, hugging her legs, "I'm just not sure how."

"Well, you can. As Ladybug, you have the chance to make a difference and help a lot of people just like she did. If she saw you now, she'd be so proud of you."

"Thanks, Tikki."

"Besides, you don't have to do it alone. You've got me and Chat Noir."

The mention of his name caused something to stir within Marinette. She watched the video replay and pressed paused at the very moment where Chat was wielding his staff. She zoomed in on the screen, getting a better look of the superhero. His eyes were focused, strong and fearless. Yet, they were the same eyes that eased her anxieties when she was scared. On the outside, he looked like a mysterious dark superhero, but Mari knew there was more to him. She didn't feel intimidated in his presence at all. She rested her elbow on her desk and her chin on her palm, still looking at the image of the superhero before her. A smile formed on her face, a smile Tikki noticed. She felt so drawn to the cat themed superhero.

The little kwami smirked, "He was quite remarkable, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he was." Marinette agreed, still looking at the image as the kwami continued listing the boy's qualities.

"And brave."

" _Really_ brave."

"Strong."

"Super strong." Marinette said, she was practically swooning.

"Not to mention, pretty cute."

"More like gorgeous-Gah!" once she realized what she was saying, Marinette quickly closed the window, reverting the screen back to her screensaver. The girl leaned against her chair, one arm over it, trying her best to act casual. "W-What? No, why would I think that? I mean, I barely even know him, why would I think he's gorgeous? That's-that's just ridiculous!"

Tikki let out a cute giggle, "Marinette, I did say I've seen a lot in my time, and one of them is when someone likes someone."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaat? Pst! No." the teenager replied, waving her hand in her pathetic attempt to act casual.

"You just said he was gorgeous."

"Because you tricked me!" Marinette exclaimed in annoyance.

"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't think so." Tikki said, giving a cheeky smirk, which made Marinette roll her eyes.

"Please, how can I possibly think he's gorgeous? I mean. he was wearing a mask."

"True, but was it the mask that caught your attention?"

"No, of course not." Marinette stood up from her chair and walked out to the balcony, resting against the railings, feeling the cool night breeze in her hair while Tikki rested on her shoulder. "He's just so…I mean, when I was scared he was right there. When I froze he carried me to safety. He…believed in me. He treated me like his partner. He trusted me and…I trusted him."

"See, you _do_ like him."

"But I don't even know who he is."

"That's the thing about the Miraculous, Marinette." the kwami said, getting the girl's attention. "When you're in hero form, sometimes the most repressed parts of your truest self come up to the surface bit by bit. Even if you don't know who he is behind the mask, Chat Noir told you more about his true self than he ever could if he wasn't wearing the mask. The Miraculous chooses those based on what is in their hearts, and it manifests itself when in your hero forms. Most masks hide the person inside, but _these_ masks…they tell a story that's waiting to be told."

Before Marinette could comment on this new information, she could have sworn she spotted something from the rooftops. Even though it was dark she could see a silhouette leaping like an acrobat from building to building. She recognized the long tail, bright golden locks and long silvery staff. Marinette let out a soft gasp, leaning in further against the railings as she watched her partner flip over to the other side.

"Tikki, it's him!"

"Strange, what's he doing out so late?" Tikki wondered out loud, only to be surprised when Marinette tapped her tiny stomach with her index finger.

"Come on, we've got to catch up to him!"

"Wait, Marinette! Do you really think it's wise to-"

"Just for a few minutes, please?" the teenager pleaded with the kwami to allow her to transform just once more. If Marinette's pleading wasn't enough, she also gave the kwami the puppy dog eyes. And with those blue eyes, it was nearly impossible for even a cute little kwami to resist. Tikki sighed in defeat.

"Okay, fine. Just be careful."

"I will, thank you. Tikki, Spots On!"

(~)

Ladybug leaped from building to building, going in the same direction she saw Chat go. When she reached the last building she saw him on, she couldn't find a trace of him anywhere. "Where did he go?" she whispered to herself. She hoped she hadn't lost him.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." a familiar voice coming from behind her caught Ladybug by surprise. She quickly spun around to see Chat Noir resting on a chimney, squatting down like a cat, smiling her way. Ladybug was so startled that she lost her footing against the edge of the roof.

Chat acted quickly and jumped down just in time to catch her. "Whoa, easy! I got you." he pulled his partner back, his arms wrapped around her waist and her hand against his chest. She blinked in surprise feeling her cheeks burn. She looked up and was now gazing into the eyes of her partner. Even in the moonlight his eyes seemed to sparkle. But she wasn't the only one who was entranced by a glance.

Chat Noir had noticed Ladybug's eyes before, but now he could really study them up close. They were as blue as the sky itself and sparkled like the ocean on a midsummer's day. They reflected the beauty of the full moon.

He even noticed a hint of freckles underneath her mask.

The two stood there for a few moments, lost in each other's eyes until Chat realized he was still holding her waist. His heart speed up and his face turned red under his dark colored mask. Last thing he wanted was for her to think he was making a move on her. He would never do that to a lady, especially one who would be his new partner in crime. He politely removed his hands and stepped back. "You okay?" he asked, snapping Ladybug out of her trance.

"Y-Yeah, I was just-balance, and…never mind." Marinette really wanted to slap herself right now. Why was she stuttering all of a sudden? She didn't stutter around him before.

Chat tried his best to keep his cool, clearing his throat and placing his hands on his hips. "So, what's up? Another monster attack?"

"What? Oh, no not at all. It was just a beautiful night and I just thought about taking an moonlight jump through the rooftops." Ladybug said, giving a slight nervous chuckle. If there were a prize for most ungraceful superhero it would no doubt go to her.

"Breaking in your new powers, too?" Chat said with a smile. He was hoping that was the case. While jumping around rooftops was fun, it did get pretty lonely afterwards. He couldn't talk to Plagg because he was currently inside his ring, and even he wasn't that great of a conversationalist.

"You could say that."

"Great. I sure could use the company. Race ya!" Chat didn't waste a second and jumped over the next building, leaving Ladybug in the dust.

"Hey!" she called out in annoyance. This was just like when they first met. Seeing Chat act like such a child was enough to make her lose her nerves. A smile appeared on her face and she threw her yo-yo ahead, using it to jump over the buildings after her partner. The race was on.

Just like before, Ladybug was astonished at how fast and agile she had now become. She could keep up with Chat Noir with ease, even while he was running on all fours. She ran over one rooftop while Chat ran on the second one beside her, running on all fours like a cat, both neck and neck while laughing together.

"Gotta keep up, Ladybug!" Chat taunted before picking up speed and leaping to another building. This only motivated the bug-themed hero to pick up the pace. She landed on the very roof she saw Chat heading towards but saw no sign of him. Finding a guy wearing a black leather cat suit in the middle of the night was a challenge all on its own.

"Peekaboo!"

"AH!" Ladybug screamed when she saw Chat hanging upside down from his staff, which was balanced on top of another chimney. He laughed before running off again. Ladybug laughed along as she ran after him again.

"You're gonna pay for that you sly cat!"

"Gotta catch me first! Whoa!" Chat was caught off guard when he felt something wrap around his legs, causing him to fall on his face. "Ow." he heard a familiar laugh and the yo-yo reel back, releasing his legs. His partner now took the lead.

"Got ya! Now it's your turn!" Ladybug laughed as she leaped over the buildings ahead.

Chat couldn't help but smirk as he stood up, watching her jump gracefully across the buildings. "Sly little bug." he said to himself and chased after her.

The rest of the night was filled with laughter, jumping and overall endless thrills. The two heroes practically danced across the sky, feeling the wind against their faces as they leaped from roof to roof like a couple of ninjas, one trying to outrun the other. Eventually, their game of chase diminished and instead the two just had fun embracing their new powers. Adrien had never felt more alive than he did right now. For the first time ever he had no restrictions, no schedules, no bodyguards and most certainly no overbearing father. Tonight, he could be as wild as he wanted to be with no one holding him back. Best of all, he wasn't alone. Every time he heard Ladybug laugh it brought a smile to his face. He liked seeing her happy, and she was definitely feistier than she looked. With each passing moment, Adrien felt more and more drawn to this girl. Little did he know, Ladybug was thinking the same thing.

Marinette never felt anything like this before. For once, she wasn't scared. She was wild and crazy, and confident. With each jump she made she felt more and more empowered. It was so overwhelming, she never wanted it to end. For the first time, she didn't feel like the clumsy girl everyone laughed at, she was just…free. Free from name calling, free from humiliation, free from the world in general. Tonight, it was just her and Chat, running around the city like a couple of playful children, laughing the whole time. Chat had the most amazing laugh, it made her smile every time she heard it. He was just such a little dork, cracking up cat-related puns whenever he could, even a few playful taunts here and there. To others this might seem annoying, but she somehow could tell he was mostly just having fun. It was even contagious, even she shot a few playful remarks his way. Normally, she would never be this sassy towards anyone, but tonight she had no restraints. Tikki was right, the Miraculous had a way of bringing out sides to herself she never knew she had. It was incredible.

After a while, the two slowly grew exhausted, which was evident by their loss of breath. The two stopped over one last rooftop, placing their hands on their knees, taking a breather. They didn't even know how long they had been doing this, for it felt as if time had disappeared for the two of them. Despite their exhaustion, their smiles did not falter.

Ladybug straightened herself, "Woo! That was fun! I never knew I could jump that high!"

"Yeah." Chat said, straightening himself and taking a breather himself. "Neither did I! You're a natural, you sure you've never done this before?"

"Pretty sure." Ladybug giggled. She took notice of her surroundings and her smile then shifted into a concerned frown. The streets didn't look familiar to her, there were buildings she had not seen yet, and she could practically smell the salt water of the ocean. She had no idea they had traveled this far, or how late it must be. She couldn't tell.

Chat stretched his arms, placing them behind his head, gazing at the scenery before him. "I love this part of the city, don't you?" he asked his companion, only to notice her concerned expression. He lowered his arms. "You okay?"

"It's just…I have no idea where we are." she confessed, and Chat looked at her in confusion. "My family recently moved here from New York. I've visited before since my dad was born here, but…I can't say I know it all that well." she felt so embarrassed to even say this, but she found no other reasons why she shouldn't. She would need his help to get back home. She knew she should have paid better attention to her surroundings before. She was just having so much fun.

Chat Noir placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Well, lucky for you, this alley cat knows the city like the back of his paw." he said, placing his hands in the form of cat paws for emphasis. There was that dorky sense of humor again. As bad as the joke was, it still got a giggle out of her. "Just name the place you'd like to go and Chat Noir will take you." he said with a princely bow.

Ladybug tapped her chin in thought. It may have sounded cliche but, there was one place she had not been to since she was very little and had not had the chance to go to since her family moved here.

"Well…"

(~)

As promised, Chat led Ladybug to the very place she wanted to see. It was her favorite place to go to every time her family visited her grandparents, but it was always during the day. She had never seen it at night. Or, at least been up there at night. They landed on a rooftop not too far from their destination, but the moment Ladybug saw the thing, she froze for a moment.

Chat noticed this. It wasn't the same kind of frozen from when they faced Stoneheart, but he could definitely tell she was a bit nervous. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be okay." he said. Just like before, his voice was warm and comforting.

"Actually, I changed my mind." she said nervously, her gaze still on the incredibly tall object before her. "Jumping over rooftops is one thing, but _that?_ " Ladybug felt a jolt of electricity when Chat touched her shoulder. Once again, his pupils became human-like, reflecting his emotions.

"You'll be fine. If you slip, I'll be right there to catch you. Cat's honor." he said, placing a hand over his heart and raising another one to emphasis his promise.

Ladybug felt more at ease knowing Chat Noir would be there. Her heart leaped once more when he gripped her hand, gently leading her towards the edge of the building, readying his staff. He winked in Ladybug's direction, letting her know she would be alright.

Taking in a deep breath, the two leaped forward, Ladybug threw her yo-yo, allowing it to wrap itself around the metal rails of the tall object. She screamed a bit as she closed in, but managed to land safely onto the side of it. She sighed in relief and Chat landed beside her, gripping tight.

"See? I told you you'd be-Whoa!" before he could finish his sentence, Chat lost his footing and began plummeting to the ground.

"Chat!" Thinking fast, Ladybug threw her yo-yo, wrapping it around his waist and pulling him back towards her. She adjusted her position and stood on the metallic surface of the building, pulling her partner back up. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." he said with a smile, "Looks like I'm the one who needed catching."

Ladybug giggled at his lightheartedness and the two continued their way, climbing up the building, higher and higher, leaping from railing to railing towards the top. "We're almost there!" Chat said as they continued their climbing. At last, they reached the top. Chat ended up being first and extended his hand, helping Ladybug step upwards safely like a gentleman. Once they had arrived, Ladybug was left speechless.

Here she was, standing at the very top of the Eiffel Tower, at night! The city looked just as it always did from up here, but with the full moon hovering overhead, and the bright golden lights that illuminated the city and the tower itself, it was far more beautiful than anything Marinette had ever seen.

"It's…it's incredible! I've never seen the city like this."

"And you can see everything." Chat said, stepping a few feet closer to her. He gazed at his partner, admiring the way her eyes lit up as she gazed at the city below them.

"Thanks for bringing me here." Ladybug said, smiling shyly at her partner. The way she smiled made Chat Noir feel warm inside. "No one has ever done anything like this for me." she confessed.

"Well, if you ever want to know your way around, don't hesitate to ask."

"I appreciate it."

The two heroes returned their gazes at the beautiful city before them, just as both Chat and Ladybug reached out their hands to touch the railing. They immediately reeled back the moment their hands touched, with Chat's just over Ladybug's. The two immediately blushed and started laughing nervously. Ladybug turned her head away, practically shielding her blushing face with her black gloved hand, while Chat had his hand behind his head, scratching it nervously.

"Sorry." Ladybug apologized.

"No, after you." Chat insisted, allowing her to go first.

Ladybug placed her hand on the railing first and Chat placed his. The side of his hand making contact with Ladybug's in the process, causing them once again reel back in embarrassment.

"Sorry!" they both said in unison before turning away shyly from each other. Ladybug just placed her arms on the railing at the same time Chat Noir did. Her eyes darting at him, only return back to the city at the same time Chat's eyes darted at Ladybug. The two were silent for a moment, wondering on what to say next.

Here they were, standing on one of the most famous landscapes in the world, in the most beautiful city in the world, and they didn't know what to say to each other. The one thing going through both of their minds was that they wanted to get to know their partner better, but should they reveal their true identities to one another? Chat Noir was very hesitant, and with good reason.

If Ladybug knew he was just this famous rich model what would she think of him? Would she seem him as daddy's little rich boy like everyone else did? He really wanted to believe she was above that, but if he had learned anything from his time as a model, it was that if people knew _what_ he was before knowing _who_ he was, then the " _what"_ was all they would ever see.

Marinette was having a similar dilemma. She wanted to trust Chat Noir, she wanted to get to know him better. She wanted them to be more than just crime fighting partners, she wanted them to be friends. But, what would he think if he knew who she really was? Just a scrawny little nobody who tripped and fell all over the place? She really didn't want to think he would laugh, he most certainly didn't seem like the shallow type. If he was, he would have just left her to cry all alone but he didn't he stayed beside her through it all. But, if she had learned anything from her time in American school, it was that if people knew _what_ she was before knowing _who_ she was, then the " _what"_ was all they would ever see.

Not wanting things to be anymore awkward than they already where, Chat Noir spoke first. "So, you said you moved here from New York, right? What's it like to live there?" he asked. He had been to New York before, but due to work he couldn't see much of the sights or many of the places, so it was basically a lost opportunity.

"It's pretty awesome, actually." Ladybug said, remembering the city she grew up in. "It's big and loud. Mostly loud. And a bit crazy. But it's got the best stores, my mom and I used to go shopping there all the time."

"What about Time Square? Is it cool?"

"Really cool! All the lights and billboards, oh and on New Year's Eve it's like madness, but the good kind." Ladybug giggled.

"Wow, sounds epic!"

"It is."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes. Though, not all that much." it was then, she realized she was one step closer from getting too personal. She couldn't say anything that could reveal her identity.

Chat Noir knew this would be a problem. If they continued on like this, something was bound to slip out and possibly reveal who they were. "Ladybug?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…do you want to tell me who you are?" he asked. It was an honest question, he asking her if she _wanted_ to tell him.

"I…I don't know." she replied, "Do you want to tell me who you are?"

"I don't know. All I do know is that, if we're going to be partners, we should at least know a bit about each other and…I really want to talk to you."

Ladybug felt flustered. Chat Noir wanted to talk to her? To get to know her? In all honesty, she wanted to talk to him too. She didn't want to feel like he was a stranger, she wanted to trust him.

"I really want to talk to you too." she said, a smile growing on her face, which made Chat feel flustered. "But, I'm not sure if I want to reveal my real name just yet."

"I completely understand." He snapped his fingers when he came up with an idea. "I got it! Why don't you ask me a question and then after I answer I'll ask you one and we go back and forth? Something simple like…what's your favorite color? I'd say red but I don't want to be stereotyping."

Ladybug giggled, "Well, it's forest green, actually. What's yours?"

"Navy blue. Favorite book?" Chat replied.

"Chronicles of Narnia." Ladybug said.

Chat's eyes widened in surprise, "No way, mine too!"

"Really?" Ladybug asked in surprise.

"Really! Which book?"

"Voyage of the Dawn Treader. You?"

"Oh, I can't pick just one. How about…favorite type of movie?"

"Mostly comedy, romance and or action, but nothing with merciless violence in it."

Chat shuddered at the idea, "Urgh! I hear you. I'll never understand how folks can watch that."

"Favorite type of music?"

"Classic rock and classic pop, favorite singer is Jagged Stone."

"You listen to Jagged Stone?!"

"Duh! He's only the best singer ever!"

"I know, right? I have all of his CDs and been to five of his concerts!" Ladybug said excitedly, showcasing the number of fingers for emphasis. Her smile faded when she noticed Chat's growing frown. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, of course not. I just…" Chat briefly turned away, looking down sadly, "I've never been to a concert before." he confessed. This was the first time Ladybug had ever seen Chat so upset. "Let's just say, my dad is very…overbearing."

"I'm sorry to hear that." she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, that was a bit too personal." he apologized.

"No, it's okay." it was then, she remembered what Tikki had told her about the Miraculouses. That they could help bring out the truest part of its wielder. "You know, whatever you decide to tell me, I promise to keep it secret." she said.

Chat smiled softly. He had a feeling he could trust her with this, even if he just danced around a few minor details, like who his father was and such. Since his father was famous, but still kept much of his personal life secret, he could easily admit certain things without giving too much away.

"I know." he said before continuing. "There's really not much to say about my dad, except that he's very overprotective of me. Ever since my mom disappeared he hasn't been the same. Sometimes, it feels like I'm living with a stranger."

Ladybug felt her heart would break for Chat. He looked so hurt. "I'm so sorry. Can I ask…what happened to your mother?"

"That's just it, we don't know. She just vanished one night and never came home. I knew she couldn't have just got up and left, but whatever other reason, I just don't know." his cat ears became droopy, reflecting his mood. "I miss her every day."

"I know how you feel." Ladybug said, keeping her hand on his arm for comfort. He had been there for her, now it was her turn to be there for him. "I lost my sister." she admitted, "She was a police officer, the best on the force actually. She was my hero, I looked up to her for practically everything. She always believed in me, even when I didn't." she stopped briefly before continuing. "One night, she had a late shift. It was midnight and I was already asleep. I woke to the sound of something breaking. The apartment next door to ours was being robbed. My sister grabbed her gun and went to investigate. My parents ordered me to stay in my room….I didn't listen."

Chat heard her voice crack and instinctively wrapped an arm around her, shaking his head, telling her not to continue, seeing it was too painful for her. But she continued anyway.

"Next thing I remember was hearing the sound of a gunshot. My sister and the robber pulled their triggers at the exact same time…one right through his heart, the other right through her head. I never saw it because my dad shielded me. I only saw it when it was all over. All I remember seeing was her body laying there, her eyes wide and lifeless, blood spilling out of her skull…" her breath became wheezy and her eyes turned red as tears started to shed. Chat Noir wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back as she let it all out on his shoulder. She hugged him tightly, burying her face on his shoulder, letting all of her emotions out right then and there. It had been so long since she spoke of the tragic event, and being able to confide in someone about it was like a huge weight has been lifted right off of her shoulders.

Chat Noir didn't say a word, but just allowed her to relinquish everything she was feeling. After a while, she finally calmed down. The tears slowly stopped but she remained in his arms.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"Don't be. You have every right to feel upset."

Ladybug managed to fully calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes as they slowly parted from the embrace. "Thanks. It's been a long time since I've talked to anyone about this."

"You can always trust me, Ladybug." he said, wiping away a few more tears with his thumb. "And you don't have to feel ashamed about talking about your feelings."

"How did you get so kind?" she asked.

"I guess I get it from my mom. And, now I know where you get your bravery from."

Ladybug scoffed, "I'm not brave."

"Of course you are. You think you would have rushed to save your friend from Stoneheart if you weren't?"

"But I still panicked! I mean, you, I've yet to see you be scared of something."

Chat's ears lowered in regret. "Actually, there is one thing I'm scared of."

"What's that?"

"Being myself."

Ladybug arched an eyebrow in confusion, "Why would that scare you? I know we've only met today but, from what I've seen, you're pretty incredible."

"As Chat Noir, maybe, but behind the mask…that's a whole other story." he turned to look at the city, placing his arms on the railing. "Let's just say, if people find out _what_ I am without knowing _who_ I am…the " _what_ " is all they will ever see. I'm sorry, did that make any sense?"

"Actually, it makes perfect sense." Ladybug said, resting her arms against the railing. She had already confided in him about her sister, and she still felt she could trust him with her other secret. "Before my sister died, I was the most unpopular kid in my class. I was known as the artistic klutz. Always tripping and falling flat on my face. My only real companion was my notebook. One day, a new girl came to class. Her family was rich so, naturally, I didn't think she'd give me the time of day. But, during lunch, she sat beside me. We talked and talked and before I knew it we were exchanging phone numbers. She was so nice to me that, for the first time, I felt I had finally made a friend." her voice dropped as she continued. "Turns out it was too good to be true. About two weeks later, during lunch, she asked me to go get some napkins. A couple of the popular girls were waiting for me. They caused me to trip and land face first into the potato salad. I was so humiliated, I thought my friend would tell them off…but she didn't. She laughed and took pictures. I didn't understand, I kept on asking what did I do to make her do this. All she said was that there was no way she would be friends with someone as clumsy and pathetic as me."

Chat felt even worse than ever. This poor girl had been through so much. Public humiliation, losing a friend, and losing her sister. He noticed her gestures. Her fists clenched, her brows furrowed and anger and regret flashed in her eyes while gazing at the ground. Her eyes said everything for him and he instinctively placed his hand over hers. This time, she did not back away.

"It's like you said. Sometime the " _what_ " is all folks see." Ladybug said, her gaze still on the ground.

Chat Noir gently gripped her hand tightly. "That girl was a jerk. Anybody would be lucky to be friends with you. I know I am."

Ladybug smiled at his words. "Thanks. Guess we have more in common than we thought."

"I guess so." Chat felt relieved to be able to confide in Ladybug. He really felt like they were becoming friends. Real friends.

The wind blew against their hair and a white piece of paper flew into Ladybug's face, catching her by surprise. Chat Noir gently lifted the piece of paper from her face, seeing her bashful smile. He laughed a bit and removed the paper from her face. Ladybug also laughed. She watched curiously as Chat began folding the paper into a shape. He closed his palms and once he opened them, instead of a crumbled piece of paper there rested a beautiful origami white rose. Ladybug blinked in surprise.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises." she said.

"I could say the same thing about you." said Chat Noir, "Just because something looks one way to most people, doesn't mean it can't be anything else." he said…as he extended his hand forward, inviting Ladybug to take the paper rose, catching her by surprise.

Ladybug looked down at the paper rose and then back at Chat Noir. She placed the pieces together in a matter of moments. He was comparing her to the piece of paper: blank and unappealing at first, but doesn't mean it can't become something beautiful. It was a lovely metaphor, and it was very creative of him to show it to her visually instead of just with words.

She wasn't sure if it was the Miraculous jewels talking or not, but it really felt like, in this very moment, she and this boy weren't just Ladybug and Chat Noir. These masks allowed them to break away from the real world and the roles they were supposed to play, or at least thought they did, and for a moment, even if it wouldn't last, be given the chance to see they could both be more than just the " _what_ ".

Chat Noir smiled as he gazed into Ladybug's eyes. He meant what he was showcasing with this paper rose. To him, she was so much more than she left herself to believe. He believed she could be more than she gave herself credit for. He…he believed in her. He just hoped she would believe him to be telling her the truth.

After a long moment of silence, Ladybug reached for the rose, her hand trembling. Seeing her struggle, Chat kindly took her hand and gently placed the rose on her palm. His touch ceased her trembling. She held the paper rose in one hand while boldly placing her free one in Chat's. The two stood there, getting lost in each other's eyes with Lady's hand in Chat's. Both hands became pressed together as they both took one step closer to each other. The entire world seemed to have disappeared, leaving only the two of them. As if by an invisible force, both heroes felt their faces drawing closer, their eyes slowly closing and their lips only inches apart.

The sound of explosions and the bright colors that appeared in the night sky surprised the two heroes. From above, they saw fireworks adorning the sky. The sound was so loud it interrupted their…moment.

"Right, I forgot the mayor was hosting a party." Ladybug said, brushing pieces of hair behind her ear.

"Y-Yeah. For the city's new heroes." Chat said, laughing nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

Marinette quickly realized she had to take a step back. She was so close to kissing Chat Noir, and as much as she wanted to, they had only just started their partnership. It probably wouldn't be so wise to start dating right off the bat. As much as she really, really, really wanted to kiss him, she knew this was the smart thing to do.

"I'm sorry." Ladybug said first, "It's just, we only now started being a team and, well if we…you know…"

"Oh, right. Right, of course. I get it."

There was no denying Chat Noir really, really, really wanted to kiss Ladybug, but he knew it probably wasn't wise to start something after knowing each other for just one day. This kind of thing might work in movies and stories, but this was real life. Even his parents took a while before they started dating. But, given what had just happened, he hoped they would get the chance again one day, and hopefully by then it would be a better time. He had a gut feeling they were going to be seeing each other a lot from now on. Ladybug felt the same way.

"You…want to go check it out, maybe?" he asked, "It is for us, after all."

"Um…I think we can see just fine from here." Ladybug said with a smile as she tapped on Chat's little cat bell, causing it to jingle, and rested her head on his strong shoulder. Chat Noir smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, watching the fireworks together.

(~)

After the show, the two heroes leaped over the rooftops once more. "You sure you know the way from here?" Chat asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks again. I had a lot of fun."

"Me too. Maybe we could do it again sometime?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck nervously…only to completely freeze in place once he felt Ladybug's lips against his cheek.

"I'd like that." she said before throwing her yo-yo at a nearby gargoyle. She turned to her partner once more time, saluting and winking. "Au Revoir, little kitty." she said, in a surprisingly flirty tone before zipping away, leaving Chat Noir to stare wide-eyed and weak-kneed.

"Yeah, see you to…see you soonday, well no, see you when-I mean…Wait, why am I stuttering?" he looked ahead, still seeing Ladybug leaping over the rooftops like a pro. He smiled, sighing dreamily before making his way back home as well.

At the exact same time, both heroes arrived home, only five minutes to midnight, but neither of them really cared about the time. Both returned back to normal, finally freeing their exhausted kwami's. Both Tikki and Plagg were panting like crazy while their masters only leaned against the walls of their respected bedrooms, gazing up with dreamy expressions, sighing with big happy smiles on their faces while their respected kwami's angrily glared at them.

"I thought we agreed a few minutes!" The two exclaimed simultaneously.

But, both teens simply shoved the pixies aside, ignoring them, and slid down onto the floor, both simultaneously swooning as they replayed the moment over and over again in their heads, all while Marinette held the origami rose close to her heart.

Even if it may have been only for one night, but it was a night they would never forget.

(~)


	6. Test of a True Hero

**Test of a True Hero**

The next morning, Marinette awoke with a big smile on her face. She had never felt this good in the morning. She didn't even mind she was going back to school, and this time staying till the final bell rang this time. The events from last night were still fresh in her mind. She could still feel Chat's strong arms around her waist, capturing her when she clumsily slipped. She could still see his gorgeous neon green eyes and his sweet yet charming smile, making her cheeks turn red. The way they opened up to one another and shared their experiences, even without needing to say their actual names. The origami flower rested on her nightstand, exactly where she had left it. She traced her fingers across its paper petals and held it close to her heart.

Tikki hovered over her friend, crossing her little arms. "Still recuperating from last night?" she said with a smirk.

"It was amazing, Tikki. Chat and I really connected."

"I know, I was technically there, remember?"

Marinette sat upright once more, still holding the origami rose. "So much has happened already. First, I become Ladybug, then I fight off a stone monster, and now I have a partner in crime!"

"I'm so happy you're happy, Marinette!" Tikki said, before becoming serious, "But, don't forget what you said to him last night?"

"What?"

"About moving too fast? When you two almost…you know…"

Marinette's face became as red as her Ladybug outfit and buried her face into her pillow. "I can't believe I almost did that!" she cried out, her voice muffled against the pillow.

Tikki only giggled, "It's okay, it's normal for teenage girls to get swept off their feet by a dashing superhero."

"He's not _just_ some superhero, Tikki!" Marinette stated, removing the pillow from her face, "Aside from my family, he's the first person I've meet with who I can really be myself around. He's so honest, and kind and brave. I wish I knew who he really was."

"Well, there isn't really any rule that say you can't." Tikki pointed out, "If you really want to reveal your real names, that's your call. It would probably make it easier, having someone you know to share this secret with even without the mask."

Marinette smiled at the idea. She wondered who Chat Noir really was behind that mask. She wondered if he wished to know who she was too. It would be just like in those action hero shows she used to watch back in New York, where the group of heroes knew each other both while saving the world and in their normal lives. It would be pretty cool to have someone to share this secret with. Of course, there was Tikki, but she was also a secret that needed to be kept. She couldn't tell her parents for obvious reasons, nor Alya. Besides, even though she knew a intimate relationship wasn't a wise choice right now, that didn't mean Marinette couldn't get to know Chat for _who_ he is and not _what_ he is. She got to experience it first hand last night. She could really see them both becoming great friends.

"Do you think I'm getting ahead of myself?" Marinette asked her kwami. "I mean, we've only known each other for a day but…" she groaned and buried her face into her pillow again. "Why did he have to be so wonderful and cute?!"

Tikki giggled and shook her head, "Teenagers…"

Marinette lifted her head to face the kwami. "I'm serious!"

"Look, if you decide to tell him or not, it's your choice. Only when you feel ready. I'm sure he will understand if you explain it to him." Tikki said as she nuzzled against Marinette's cheek, making her giggle.

(~)

HawkMoth could feel his Akuma regaining its strength. The butterfly's dark colored wings straightened, its purple markings shimmering in the light. The villain smiled. "Yes. Now, fly away my little Akuma. Go, and bring Paris to its knees!"

The little butterfly flew out the window, once again going out into the world. It won't be long now before the cat and the bug to show up and save those helpless fools.

The Akuma flew all across the city before landing at the very tip top of the Eiffel Tower. Its wings fluttered rapidly like a hummingbird as more and more Akumas suddenly started appearing all around the top of the tower, hovering around like a swarm of bees, multiplying rapidly. Several groups of dozens upon dozens of Akumas descended upon the unsuspecting city.

(~)

After eating breakfast, Adrien watched in disgust as his kwami happily devoured a slice of camembert cheese in just one gulp. The slice was almost as big as Plagg himself, not to mention his lower torso was just too small for it. The boy wondered how he was able to digest it all.

"Delicious!" the little black cat kwami said, licking his lips before taking another slice of the smelly cheese, which rested on a plate on Adrien's desk.

"Camembert?" Adrien asked, raising an eyebrow while resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his knuckles. "Out of all the things you could have chosen to charge up on, you pick stinky camembert? That's just perfect. Now I'm gonna stink all day because of you."

"Eh, quit complaining!" Plagg said with a scoff, "Worried you won't smell like a spring meadow the next time you see your spotted girlfriend?"

Adrien's cheeks turned red and he jolted up in his seat. "W-What?! What are you talking about? Ladybug and I are partners, that's it."

"Really? Oh, I guess I must have gotten the wrong message when you two were only two seconds away from smooch city!" Plagg said, puckering his own lips and making kissing noises, which only made the boy feel more bashful.

Before Adrien could respond, the news logo appeared on the screen, and the news anchor woman appeared, with a look of terror in her eyes. "This just in, the Golem monster attack has yet to be resolved!"

"What?" Adrien raised the volume, making sure he had heard correctly. This was not possible, he and Ladybug had defeated Stoneheart, how was it possible that he returned?

(~)

Marinette ate her pancakes happily until she heard the distressed voice of the anchor woman on the television.

"A new wave of panic blows over the capital as dozens of people are suddenly changing into stone golems, identical to the ones Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated yesterday!"

Marinette could feel her heart thumping and her hands trembling as she watched the events unfold before her eyes. The scene showed various people, all innocents, suddenly becoming submerged in black bubbling ooze before being completely transformed into stone golems, just like Stoneheart. Not only that, but she also spotted various black butterflies right before they landed on the unsuspecting victims. They looked just like the Akuma from yesterday.

Marinette's parents held one another as they watched the news, her mother couldn't bear to see it so she hid her face into her husband's strong chest. Marinette quickly ran up to her room.

Her confidence and cheery attitude quickly vanished, being replaced with nothing but fear.

(~)

Adrien could not believe what he was seeing. Random people were transforming into perfect Stoneheart replicas, but once they did they froze in place, nearly seconds after their transformation.

"For the moment, these stone golems appear to be inactive-still as statues." the news woman said. "What will become of these statues? Will they awaken one day, or stay still for all eternity. We can only hope our new heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir will answer the call."

Adrien clicked the button on the remote, shutting the screen off and stood from his white sofa, "Plagg, what's happening?! I thought we defeated Stoneheart already. I saw it with my own eyes!"

"You captured the Akuma, right?"

(~)

"Actually, I just squashed it." Marinette confessed. "It gave me the creeps so I just…reacted."

"I had assumed you captured it." Tikki said after hearing Marinette explain what had happened. "I felt it weaken for a bit."

"I don't get it, what's the connection between the Akuma and these other Stonehearts?"

"An Akuma can multiply itself!" Tikki said, her voice growing higher, "That's why we have to capture them! And if Ivan feels any negative emotions again then the Akuma will change him back into Stoneheart, and he'll control every transformed person to form his own army!"

Marinette backed away from the kwami, her knees felt weak and she fell to the floor, her eyes widening in terror. "That means…this is all my fault. All those people…they're like this because of me!"

"No, it's my fault too!" Tikki said, trying to comfort the teenager. " _I_ should have explained it better to you. It's just been so many ages since I've worked with a chosen Ladybug. I'm so sorry."

"No, it's not your fault, Tikki." Marinette said, not even bothering to look up. "I messed up."

"It was only your first time."

"Oh, really? Did any of the other Ladybugs before me allow this to happen?"

"Well…um…" Tikki tapped on her chin, trying to remember if there had been any Ladybug before Marinette who had this problem. Sadly, none came to mind.

"Just as I thought." the girl stood up and walked over to her mirror, gazing at her reflection.

"It was an accident, Marinette. There's still a chance to save everyone." Tikki insisted as she floated above Marinette's shoulder, only for the girl to angrily swat her away.

"You saw the way I was the first time! I couldn't even move! Chat Noir had to take me away from the fight all because I was too much of a coward!"

"Marinette, please. That's just your fear talking. All you have to do is go back and capture Stoneheart's Akuma."

"You saw those Akumas! There could be millions of them all over the city by now, how do you expect me to catch them all?!"

"You will! Besides, you won't be alone. You'll have Chat Noir there to help you."

Marinette thought for a moment. She remembered the events from yesterday, when she froze in place, when Stoneheart was only seconds away from destroying her. She could still hear the loud sound of the gunshot ringing in her ears. If she could hear this in just a memory, she couldn't even bear the thought of what would happen if she went off against an entire army of Stonehearts. Just thinking about facing those rock monsters made her heart pound hard and her hands tremble, and terrifying thoughts just ran through her head.

She looked at her night stand, where the origami rose still stood. She held it in her hands, thinking about its meaning. That she was so much more than just a plain piece of paper, and she could become something greater. But, what if that was just it?…what if she couldn't be anything more? What if she only became lucky because of Chat Noir's encouragement and loyalty. She knew he would have her back but…would she have his? Would she be brave enough to protect him the way he did for her? She didn't last time, who's to say she would the next?

"Remember what you're fighting for, Marinette." Tikki said, quoting what Bridget had told her long ago.

But it did not reassure her. Marinette had tried to remind herself of that very same thing, and yet she still got scared. She still messed up. Chat Noir was the real hero, not her. What if she messed up again? What if she froze, or worse? What if Chat Noir got hurt protecting her? What if she lost him? She couldn't do that to her new friend, she just couldn't. She had to face facts…

She was no Bridget. She wasn't fearless, she never was, even as a child. There really was no changing her, even as a hero she freaked out, and even around Chat Noir she was still unsure and clumsy. He deserved a better partner, one who would have his back the same way Bridget always had hers without backing down. Tikki deserved a better Ladybug. Paris deserved a better hero.

"I'm sorry, Tikki." Marinette said as she turned around, away from the kwami. "I can't do it."

"Yes you can!"

"No, I can't!" she yelled angrily at the creature, tears already forming in her eyes. "I'm a klutz, I mess things up, I freeze when things get tough, I froze in front of Stoneheart who's to say I won't in front of an army of them! And don't say "Chat Noir will be there", because I already know that! I already know he's perfectly capable of protecting anyone he cares about but I won't! I'll only let him down and I can't do that to him!" the tears finally came out. Marinette clenched her jaw and her fists. "I'll only make things worse for you, for Chat, for everyone. I give up…"

(~)

"So, I can't do anything without Ladybug?" Adrien said to the kwami after having been explained what had happened.

"Only Ladybug can capture the Akumas and fix all the damages caused by the Akumatized victim."

"You sure there isn't anything else I can do?"

"Sorry….no." for the first time since they had met, Plagg sounded…deadly serious. His ears were droopy, his body hovered sadly, he even lost his appetite. This really was serious.

Now, more than ever, Adrien wished he knew who Ladybug was behind the mask. Maybe he could have gotten in touch with her if he had her number, then again she probably had already seen the news and knew what was happening. Still, it sure would be helpful in an emergency.

(~)

"If Chat Noir can't capture the Akumas, then find another Ladybug." Marinette said, wiping away her tears. "Chat deserves a better partner and you deserve a better Ladybug. I'm sorry, Tikki…"

The kwami gasped in horror as Marinette began removing her Miraculous earrings. "No, don't do tha-"

The moment the earrings came off the room fell into silence. Tikki's sentence was left unheard and the little creature disappeared into thin air.

"Tikki?"

No reply. Not even a peep. Nothing but silence. A part of her regretted taking the earrings off, but another part of her was kind of relieved. This way there would be very little chance of her mistakes hurting anyone else. That was, so far, the only upside to her choice, because there were so many other downsides.

She would never see Tikki again, whom she had grown to adore, she would never see Chat Noir again, at least not as Ladybug. She might still see him on the news, and maybe if she were ever in danger, but to talk with him like she did before. To open up her heart, to really connect with someone who understood…she would really miss that. Who knew wearing a mask would bring her so much happiness, even for one night. But, it was time to wake up from this fantasy. No matter what she wore, no matter what powers she was given, one thing would never change…

She was just plain old Marinette. Nothing was going to change that.

With a heavy heart she placed her earrings into the box from which they had appeared to her in and placed them into an empty drawer. She broke down in tears, resting her knees onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Tikki…"

(~)

Back in his dark lair, HawkMoth relished in his victory. Granted, he still didn't have the Miraculous yet, but he would soon enough.

"Ivan has a sensitive heart." he said to himself as swarms of white butterflies fluttered all around him. "Sooner or later, his anger and sadness will strike him again. And once it does, him and all his Stonehearts will come to life. You won't stay hidden for long, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Once I have your Miraculous the ultimate power shall be mine, and my ultimate wish…shall be fulfilled!"

(~)

"The stone golems have spread all across Paris, still showing no sign of activity." said the news woman as Marinette finished helping clean up the plates after breakfast. She watched the report on the news and, just as the woman described, the Stonehearts remained frozen in place. Marinette felt the pang of guilt in her chest. This was all because of her. Something inside of her wouldn't rest or let this go, but she also knew she couldn't be Ladybug. She had been so caught up in the romance of being a superhero she forgot about reality.

The Mayor appeared on the television screen, once again holding another press flashed as he addressed the situation with a stern face. "We are doing everything we can to restore these innocent victims back to normal. We will not rest until we have found the cure for whatever it is that has happened to these people. But, we can only hope our new protectors, Ladybug and Chat Noir will resolve this crisis. Until then, we must stay vigilant and we will work tirelessly to help these people in any way we can."

As if Marinette didn't feel awful enough. These poor people were suffering and here she was, just hiding away. Once again, she was having an internal struggle with herself. She knew something had to be done, but just when she was about to reconsider putting the earrings back on the memory of her panic attack replays in her mind. Just standing there looking at the screen was enough to make her freeze. Chat would no doubt do a better job without her, and Tikki should find a better Ladybug. One with more courage and confidence than herself.

She felt her father's strong grip on her shoulder. The man smiled, seeing the fear and worry in her eyes. "Don't worry, Mari. I know things seem scary at the moment, but now we have two superheroes watching over Paris!" he said with such confidence it only made Marinette feel worse. "And the best thing we can do right now is not to be afraid, because we believe in them!"

"But, what if…Ladybug doesn't show up?" Marinette asked hesitantly.

"Then, I'll come and save you." her father teased and took a long loaf of bread, wielding it like a sword, "Super Baker Man, away!"

Marinette laughed at her father's silliness. One of the many things her mother loved about her father was his sense of humor. The same would be said for her grandparents. She wondered if that ran in the woman in her family, to like a man with a sense of humor.

"Thanks, Super Dad." Marinette kissed her father's cheek before heading up to her room to finish packing her backpack. Despite what happened the day before, Marinette knew she had to go back to school. At least facing a bully wouldn't be nearly as petrifying as facing a giant rock monster. At least in front of Chloe the worse she did was remain quiet, she didn't freeze like with Stoneheart. She picked up her backpack and small shoulder bag and prepared to leave once more…only to look over her nightstand to see the origami rose on the table, right above the closed drawer where she had placed the Miraculous earrings.

She was already missing Tikki. She never realized how much she had come to adore the little kwami in such a short time. She missed her playful spirit and adorable little giggle. It had been so long since she had another female friend to talk to about literally anything. She was like…like a sister, in a way.

Maybe she couldn't be Ladybug, but she could at least do Tikki a favor and find a better hero. One worthy to wear the earrings. She took the box from the drawer and placed it in her small bag. She also picked the origami rose and placed it inside an empty jewelry box she had laying around. The box was about the same size as the one containing the miraculous, only it was rounded instead of octagon shaped. The thought of never seeing Chat Noir again was even more painful than she expected. To never fight by his side and to never hear his silly jokes, even if they were bad they still made her laugh. He wasn't afraid to be a dork, that's what she liked about him. As well as his honesty and chivalry. There was no one word for her to best describe him, he was just…Chat Noir.

Sadly, there was only one word to best describe Marinette…a scaredy-cat who needed more saving than the people she was supposed to protect. If only she could be what Chat Noir and Tikki saw…but she just wasn't.

At least she would have the paper rose to always remember that enchanting night on top of the Eiffel Tower, and the small moments she shared with Tikki. She had only known them both for a day, and yet the thought of being apart from them was already difficult.

It was like loosing Bridget all over again.

(~)

Nathalie looked back at the clock to the twentieth time. Adrien was already running late as it was. At this time of the day was when his homeschooling would begin.

"Where is that boy?" she asked herself, "It's not like him to be this late." she headed towards his room, calling out his name. "Adrien?"

No reply. The room was entirely empty, his bed was already made, indicating he was already awake, but she didn't see him anywhere. She knocked on the door of his bathroom, but also no response. She didn't even hear the shower running, nor the sink, nothing.

The boy was nowhere else to be found, and Gabriel was not happy about this. The man stood before his secretary and his son's limo driver, standing at the top of the stairs, towering over the two. Even Gorilla looked intimidated by the man.

"Did you see him go out?!" he asked in a demanding tone which echoed inside the mansion. "Should anything happen to my son, I will hold you both responsible! Find him!"

(~)

The blond boy ran as fast as his legs could take him. He had snuck out of his room as Chat Noir and had de-transformed back into Adrien behind a building. Plagg flew out of his jacket pocket, looking at his human with confusion.

"You're one strange boy." The kwami said, "You'd rather go to school instead of staying at home playing video games?"

"You don't understand, Plagg. I'm sick of being cooped up in that house like a prisoner. I want to go to school, make real friends, be a normal kid for once!"

"Said the kid with the magical ring and talking pixie pal." the kwami said, stopping in mid air which in turn caused Adrien to slow down and stop. "Well, can you at least do a kwami a favor and hook me up with some camembert? That last transformation really took a lot out of me."

"Are you for real?" Adrien said. He sighed and reached for his bag and gave the kwami the stinky slice of cheese, crinkling his nose in disgust as he watched the creature gobble it up in seconds. "It's bad enough I have to carry this around for you, now I'm going to end up smelling like smelly cheese."

"Well, eating cheese is what gives me strength, so you better get used to it, pretty boy."

Adrien shook his head and opened his jacket, allowing Plagg to hide inside it as he continued running. Adrien made a turn at a street corner, only to once again end up falling flat on his face, and on top of someone. This time, he laid on her back as the girl groaned in anger.

"Seriously?!"

"Oh, sorry!" Adrien quickly apologized as he stood up and reached out his hand to help a familiar girl with black hair in pigtails. "I didn't mean-Marinette?"

Marinette ignored his attempts at helping her stand up and adjusted her bag. Thankfully, nothing had fallen out. "Funny, I didn't think you'd recognize me without the pizza stain." she said bitterly as she grabbed her backpack and walked ahead.

Adrien quickly caught up to her and the two were now walking side by side on their way to school. "So, you're still upset about yesterday, huh?" he asked, though he immediately realized how stupid he sounded by asking that question.

"What? Me? Upset? No, why would I be upset that your girlfriend totally humiliated me in front of the entire school on my first day?"

Adrien came to a brief halt, feeling an incredible pang of guilt in his chest. After his talk with Ladybug, he knew all too well how much it can hurt a person to be publicly humiliated. Then again, Ladybug was hurt by someone she knew, why would Marinette be….?

"Hey, wait!" Adrien quickly caught up with the girl, who still refused to speak to him, let alone look at him. "Okay, first of all, Chloe is not my girlfriend, she's just an old friend."

"Oh, big surprise there." she said sarcastically, which only made Adrien feel worse.

"Look, I get it. I didn't make the best first impression and I'm sorry. But, I'm not like Chloe. I don't look down on people just because they're different."

"Like I haven't heard _that_ before." Marinette said, walking even faster ahead of Adrien.

"It's the truth!" the boy insisted. He really didn't want people to think he was just another spoiled rich kid. His talk with Ladybug last night made him realize that he couldn't spend the rest of his life being seen as just the perfect rich kid. He wanted to be himself, the same way he was with Ladybug.

Adrien ran faster and stopped right in front of her, blocking Marinette's path. "Please, just give me a chance to explain!"

Marinette stopped in her tracks, facing Adrien, her eyes narrowed and her fists clenching. Her patience was already hanging on a thread with this boy. She already had enough going on she didn't need him pestering her. Still, if she was ever going to get through the day, she might as well humor him. She crossed her arms and sighed bitterly.

"Fine."

"I'm sorry you were humiliated yesterday, I really am. I know to you I'm just another spoiled rich kid and…I don't blame you." Marinette's eyes slightly widened upon hearing this, but she still kept her guard up.

Adrien knew first hand how much being humiliated can hurt, especially when you did nothing to deserve it. He learned that much from Ladybug's story. In fact, Marinette and Ladybug were no different from each other in that regard. They also…had the same bluebell eyes, Adrien noticed.

He shook those thoughts away for the moment and continued, "I don't expect you to trust me, and again, I don't blame you for it, but can we at least put yesterday behind us and start over?" he asked hopefully, taking Marinette by surprise. He extended his hand for her to shake. "We don't have to be friends or anything, but I'm hoping I can prove to you that I'm not like _"them"_. All I want is to start over."

Marinette was hesitant to shake his hand. This wasn't the first time she had trusted someone and her old friend used a very similar method in behaving as if she wasn't like the other rich kids, only to turn out she was. She was just as sly and cunning as a fox. It was hard for Marinette to see rich kids as any different from her old friend. Then, her thoughts drifted to Chat Noir. Him, she trusted. She saw him for the kind-hearted soul he really was. Then she remembered what he said to her.

 _"If people find out_ what _I am without knowing_ who _I am…the "_ what" _is all they will ever see."_

Could it be possible she was judging this guy too quickly? She hadn't had the best experience when it came to rich kids but…his eyes. They were a mesmerizing forest green, and they looked almost familiar…no, it couldn't be. Her missing her dashing cat was making her see things. Still, this boy wouldn't give up. Maybe they didn't have to be friends but…maybe…

She hesitantly reached out her hand and eventually shook his. She didn't say a word as she walked up the stairs towards the school with Adrien close behind. Well, it was a start.

The moment Marinette walked in, Alya rushed over, dragging her away gently by the arm. "Girl, I'm so happy you're here! How you feeling?" she asked with concern.

"I'm fine, Alya. I'm doing better than yesterday, I can tell you that." she briefly glanced back at Adrien, who only waved in return. Marinette only hoped her time with Chat Noir had taught her not to look only at the "what" and more of the "who".

As Adrien walked up the stairs, he heard a familiar voice calling to him, followed by the sound of a car horn honking. "Adrien!" Nathalie cried out as she came out from the limo, "Don't do this, your father will be furious!"

"Tell him you got here too late." Adrien said, his eyes shimmering as he held his hands together, pleadingly. "Please, Nathalie." he said before running inside the building.

Nathalie only sighed and returned to the car, buckling her seatbelt while Gorilla looked at her with concern.

"I'll handle the situation." she said, speaking in a professional and monotone voice and Gorilla pressed his foot on the gas pedal.

(~)

"I was so worried, I tried calling last night but you wouldn't answer." Alya said as she and Marinette walked down the hallway to class.

"Sorry about that, I was…distracted." Marinette said, her cheeks slightly turning pink. "Hey, I saw you on the news yesterday."

"I know! Wasn't it awesome?! Ladybug is beyond incredible, in fact I even got started on a blog. I call it "The Ladyblog", your number one source of all things Ladybug, and Chat Noir of course." Alya handed Marinette her phone, showing off her new blog. This girl really worked fast. There was already a video of the battle she had recorded yesterday of Marinette and Chat Noir battling Stoneheart.

"Wow, Alya, this is…really cool." Marinette said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but in reality she felt disappointed. It was just a cruel reminder of what she wasn't. If Alya found out who Ladybug really was she'd be so disappointed.

"I know, right? Just look at how many views I've made thanks to this video!" Alya said with excitement as she took her phone back, scrolling down the page, admiring her work and reading the comments. "Oh, and there's a side page for Chat Noir, check it out!" Alya clicked on the image of a cat's on the screen and a side page appeared, regarding Chat Noir. While Ladybug's page was colored bright red, Chat Noir's was dark with a logo that read "The dark side of the moon", making him look all the more mysterious.

"I'm telling you, girls are already flipping out about this guy!" Alya said, "Personally, he's not my type, but I won't deny he's got some slick moves, don't you agree?"

"Uh, yeah. He really does." Marinette replied honestly, only to look down in dismay.

"What's wrong?" Alya asked with concern and placed a hand on her new friend's shoulder.

"It's just…why do you trust Ladybug so much, anyway? I mean, you saw all of those other Stonehearts…"

"Yeah, but I'm sure she'll fix it!"

"But wouldn't Chat do a better job on his own? I mean, what if Ladybug's not cut out to be a hero like everyone else thinks?"

"What are you talking about? Oh, wait a second…" Alya walked closer to Marinette, arching an eyebrow in suspicion and adjusting her glasses. "I think I see what's going on here…"

Marinette gasped as Alya stood close. Marinette's eyes darted back and forth, her muscles tensing. What if Alya had figured it out? What if she recognized her face? What would she say? That she quit the job? Would she hate her? Would she tell the whole school? So many thoughts ran through her mind so fast she could barely keep up.

"You're scared." Alya concluded, which made Marinette feel slightly at ease. "I totally get it. But don't worry, I saw it with my own eyes, Ladybug is a _real_ hero!" Alya said as she struck a karate pose for emphasis. "And she's going to protect everyone just as she did before. Trust me."

Marinette remained silent after Alya's praise for her alter ego. It was clear that Alya was a lot braver, confident and determined to take action when the chance arrived. She was even willing to go after Stoneheart herself just to see the events up close. She was everything a superhero should be, and everything Marinette wasn't. As the two walked together, Marinette looked down at her shoulder bag, feeling the edges of the octagon box inside.

They made their way across the gym, where they saw some of the students talking with Ivan, regarding his monstrous transformation. "You really don't remember anything?" the goth girl, Juleka, asked the boy. Despite part of her face being covered by her dark hair, dyed purple, she looked at him with concern.

"You should have seen yourself." Kim said, his knuckles in his hips, practically interrogating the poor boy, "You straight up wanted to pulverize me!"

"That's enough, Kim!" a shorter girl with blond hair styled into a pixie cut said, placing a hand on his forearm, asking him to step down. "Can't you see he's been through enough already?"

But, while everyone was talking to him, Ivan himself had his sight set on another student, who stood a few feet away, looking down shyly with her hands together in front of her. She was short and chubby but very adorable with golden brown eyes and blond hair tied back by a pink bandana. Her hair was styled in dreadlocks, several parts were dyed green, blue, and magenta. Her name was Mylene, one of Ivan's classmates, and the girl he was too scared to confess his feelings to. She dared to look up at the group, and once she and Ivan's eyes met she quickly turned away. Ivan couldn't blame her for being scared, he would have been too if he had seen himself.

"I'm sorry." Ivan said to his classmates, "I don't know what came over me. It was like I was being controlled or something."

Marinette and Alya approached the group, both showing visible sympathy for the boy, Marinette especially. She knew exactly why he was so upset and why he became Stoneheart in the first place.

"You know what they say; once a monster, always a monster!" Chloe said as he leaned against the wall, with Sabrina standing beside her like a good lackey. The blond girl was admiring herself in her little compact mirror, which made Marinette want to gag.

Ivan felt his rage ignite and he stormed away from the other students, causing them to step back in fear. They didn't want their fellow classmate to feel as if they didn't trust him, but they wouldn't dare to anger him any further. What if he turned into that monster again?

"Perfect, we all feel so much safer without you!" Chloe cried out, making Marinette clench her fists in anger. She followed Ivan in hopes of helping him keep his emotions in check. She couldn't let him turn back into Stoneheart.

(~)

The window opened, allowing the light to illuminate the room and butterflies fluttered everywhere. HawkMoth could feel the negative energy. It was so delicious.

"Yes. Derogatory remarks always hurt. Get angry, Ivan, your Akuma awaits."

(~)

"How could you say that to Ivan?!" Alya exclaimed angrily at the blond, who smiled smugly. "You're the one with the heart of stone, Chloe!"

"Last time I checked, I wasn't the one who destroyed half of Paris yesterday." Chloe said, still acting like the smug queen she was. "Just because they broadcasted your awful video of these two superheroes doesn't mean you should around getting a big head because of it."

"You filthy little-"

"Oh, no! Watch out, she's getting mad!" Chloe taunted. "Run, she's gonna turn into a horrifying monster!"

"Enough!" Adrien called out, narrowing his eyes at his old friend. "Quit it, Chloe!"

"Adrihoney, I was only joking."

"It's not funny!" he exclaimed, taking Chloe by surprise. Alya arched an eyebrow at the blond. Who knew daddy's little rich boy had a moral compass. He looked around, realizing someone was missing. "Where's Marinette?"

"Why do you ask?" Alya said, looking at him suspiciously.

"Just wanted to know if she was okay."

"She went to check up on Ivan." she said, pointing her thumb to where she had gone.

Jealousy flashed in Chloe's eyes. Why was Adrien paying so much attention to this new girl? What did that girl have have that she didn't? What did Adrien see in her? He was all sweet to her yesterday and now he was wondering where she was. There was no way in heck she was going to let that New York wannabe hussy steal her man.

The shallow blond surprised Adrien by wrapping her arms around his. "Hey, Adrihoney, walk me to class?" She said. Before Adrien could respond, he was being dragged by away by the girl.

(~)

Marinette followed Ivan into the gym's equipment locker room. The boy sat on the floor with headphones on his head. Marinette kneeled beside him, placing a hand on his large arms, smiling sweetly. Ivan removed his headphones to politely greet his unexpected guest.

"Hey. You're the girl from New York, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm Marinette."

"Not to be rude or anything but, did you want something?"

"No, I just wanted to say that…I think you should tell Mylene how you feel."

Ivan's cheeks became red, "W-What are you-?"

"Oh, stop. I've seen the way you look at her. I might be new here but I know a crush when I see one." she said with a wink, which only made Ivan feel even more flustered.

"There's no way she'd like me." he said sadly, hanging his head.

"No, avoid any negative feelings!" Marinette exclaimed, almost as if she were afraid he'd lash out, which made him feel a tad insulted. She quickly recollected herself and smiled, "I mean, you need to stay positive. I'm sure if she got to know you you two would really hit it off. Girls appreciate a guy who's honest, believe me, I know." she said, her free hand reaching to touch the surface of her bag, which still carried the origami flower Chat had given her. "Just go talk to her."

Ivan sighed sadly, "No, I stink with words."

"Well, there are other ways to express your feelings." she said, once again remembering the way Chat expressed himself with his origami rose. "You could write a poem, or make her a drawing, or get her some flowers."

"I could write her a song." Ivan said.

"That's perfect! A love song just for her." Marinette smiled at the idea, her bluebell eyes twinkling, "Come on, go for it it Ivan, and, rem…stay positive. Most important."

"Thanks, Marinette!" Ivan smiled in gratitude and welcomed the girl in a tight hug. As sweet as the gesture was, Marinette could feel her bones crushing.

"You're welcome!" she said, nearly out of breath. Ivan finally released her, patted her on the head in thanks before heading out.

Marinette sighed in relief. At least one crisis was averted.

(~)

HawkMoth stomped his cane to the floor in anger. "What's this? I can't feel his negative energy anymore! It's disappeared!" he let out a loud angry scream. What could have caused his prey to slip right through his grasp. Whoever it was, he couldn't wait for the opportunity to crush them!

(~)

As Adrien walked to class, with Chloe still holding his arm, several students came up to him, asking for his autograph. Adrien, being the polite boy he was, did so without hesitation. Even if he didn't like signing autographs, it did make his fans happy. Once he arrived at the classroom he took his new seat next to a boy wearing a red cap and headphones around his neck. He was of african american descendant and wore glasses just like Alya.

"Uh, Adrihoney, we're supposed to sit together, remember?" Chloe said.

"I know, but I think I'd prefer a seat a bit closer to the blackboard." he said, though really he was lying through his teeth. He only agreed to walk Chloe to class because he had already planned on picking another seat that wasn't next to her. This was his own form of payback. The boy was not without his sneaky side. No wonder he was chosen by the black cat ring.

He placed his bag beside him and extended his hand to greet his classmate. "Hi, I'm Adrien."

The boy only looked at the young model and then back at Chloe. "So, you're one of Chloe's pals, right?" he asked, though his tone indicated he wasn't too excited about the idea of this guy knowing Chloe.

Adrien should have expected this. It was just like with Marinette. The moment everybody knew he was rich and a friend of Chloe they automatically assumed he was just like her. If only he could turn into Chat Noir, then he wouldn't have to be Adrien, even if for a moment.

He then saw Chloe take a gum from her mouth and gave it to Sabrina, who placed the gum on a chair…Marinette's chair.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Adrien exclaimed as he stood from his seat.

"I'm just reminding little miss NYC to show some respect is all. I heard she insulted you after that little pizza incident yesterday. No need to thank me."

"She didn't insult me, and you can't keep doing this!" Adrien said and tried to remove the gum himself.

Chloe only rolled her eyes and walked over to her seat. "You still have so much to learn, Adrihoney. So much."

(~)

Marinette caught up with Alya and the two walked together to their first class. Marinette was still questioning if she should give Alya the Miraculous. She clearly had the confidence and bravery to do so.

"Hey, Alya. Would you…like to be a superhero like the ones in your comics? Fighting monsters and supervillains?"

"Aw, totally! Brawls don't scare me. If I was ever lucky enough to have superpowers I'd use them in a heartbeat! Why?"

"Oh…nothing, just random questioning." she said as she reached for her back, opening it and taking the octagon box in her hand. She really didn't want to give Tikki up, but it was for the best. Once she was sure Alya wasn't looking, she placed the box in her bag. The deed was done, now she just had to let Alya do the rest.

Once they entered the classroom, Marinette and Alya gasped when they saw Adrien apparently putting gum on Marinette's seat. A dormant anger ignited within Marinette, and anger she had not felt in a long time. She couldn't believe how stupid she was to think, even for a moment, that this boy was being sincere. At least he didn't take an entire week to really show his true colors.

Marinette stormed on over to Adrien, stomping her foot to get his attention. "Well, I'll give you props for working fast." she said, crossing her eyes and glaring angrily at the boy.

Adrien quickly stopped what he was doing, suddenly feeling very intimidated by this girl's glare. Out of context, this really was an incriminating scene. Chloe and Sabrina were already bursting out in laughter, which only made Marinette's anger rise. If she were a volcano there'd be lava spewing all over the place right now.

"I can't believe I was so stupid!"

"No, it's not what it looks like! I was trying to get the gum _off_ of your seat!" Adrien insisted once he stood up.

"You really think I'm going to fall for this again?" Marinette exclaimed and tried herself to get the gum off, only to gag in disgust when she saw just how wet and sticky it was. She could still hear Chloe and Sabrina laughing.

It was just like when she fell into the potato salad and everyone laughed…even her so called friend. She took out a napkin and just placed it over the gum instead. Her shoulders tensed and she could feel the tears threatening to fall out again. Instead of feeling humiliated, she only felt anger. She looked back up at Adrien and, even though he looked innocent, Marinette was just too angry to even take notice. She stood up and faced the boy with fire in her eyes.

"I was right about you. You really are no different from Chloe."

"That's not true!"

" _Save it!_ " Marinette exclaimed, her voice raising which actually caused the rest of the room to fall into silence. "I am _not_ _falling for this again!_ "

Adrien stood there, nearly paralyzed as Marinette took her seat, crossing her arms on the table, not looking at him. Alya simply wrapped an arm around her in comfort. Adrien sighed in defeat and saw on his seat, next to the boy in the red cap.

Chloe smiled smugly from behind him, "See what I mean? If you don't demand respect, they'll walk all over you."

"Shut up, Chloe!" Adrien exclaimed in anger, making Chloe gasp in shock. Did he just tell her to 'shut up'? Why would he tell her to shut up? They were in this together, they were the alpha teens of the school, why would he silence her?

Chloe refused to be spoken this way so instead she gave him the silent treatment, that would teach him.

Adrien sighed sadly and the boy beside him looked on in sympathy. "Why didn't you tell her it was Chloe who put the gum?" the boy asked.

"Even if I didn't it wouldn't change anything." Adrien replied, sighing sadly. "I don't blame her, though. I know rich kids like me don't exactly have the best reputation."

"Not gonna disagree on that." the boy said and looked over at Marinette, "Probably not all your fault, though. Who knows what happened to make her hate folks like Chloe so much that even a silly gum prank would blow her fuse."

That was when Adrien's eyes widened in realization and the memories came flooding back.

" _Rich kids like you who like to toy with other students for your own amusement..."_

 _"You don't know me at all!…"_

 _"Her family was rich…."_

 _"I didn't think she'd give me the time of day…"_

 _"I was so humiliated…"_

 _"Like I haven't heard that before..."_

 _"I am not falling for this again!…"_

 _"again…again…again…"_

"Hey, dude!" Adrien snapped himself out of his train of thought once the boy beside him waved a hand over his face. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Sorry."

"So, how do you know Chloe, anyway?"

"Our dads know each other, and I've known her since we were kids. Not everything about her is…likable but, she's the only friend I've got." he said, sounding less than enthusiastic about having someone like Chloe be his only friend. His green eyes widened when he saw the boy extend his hand, smiling.

"I'm Nino. I think it's time you made some new friends, dude."

This was the first time anyone had offered to be Adrien's friend. He couldn't believe this was happening, a real friend! He happily shook Nino's hand, cementing their new friendship.

At least not everything was a complete disaster.

(~)

Mylene ran quickly out of the stalls from the girl's bathroom. "Oh, I'm gonna be so late!" she said. She quickly opened the door and let out a short scream when she saw Ivan standing before her. He was so much taller than she was, which did give him a very intimidating appearance, even though she knew he wouldn't harm a fly.

"Ivan, goodness you scared me. Is everything okay?"

"I wrote you something." he said. He turned on the music on his phone, which was heavy metal rock music. It was so loud Mylene had no choice but to cover her ears, and what was even stranger was that Ivan started yelling words he read from a piece of paper. Even if she couldn't understand what he was screaming, Ivan was trying to sing the song he wrote for her.

 _ **"Mylene! Stronger than an oak! Would you be my queen?!"**_

Mylene quickly ran away from the screaming boy, still covering her ears. She had no idea why Ivan was acting this way, but she didn't like it. Why was he yelling? Did she do something wrong? She didn't know. She hoped she would be able to ask him.

Once she was gone, Ivan angrily crumpled up the paper that had his song written on it. How could he had been so stupid? A guy like him could never have a chance with someone as sweet as Mylene. He angrily slammed his phone to the floor before sitting on the floor in defeat.

(~)

HawkMoth felt the wave of negative energy within Ivan once more, and this time it was even stronger. "There, that's exactly what I'm talking about." he said as white butterflies fluttered around him, their wings shimmering in the light. One particular butterfly, a black one, rested on HawkMoths scepter before fluttering out the window once again.

"You know the way, my little Akuma."

(~)

The Akuma flew towards the school, finding Ivan as quickly as the first time, sinking itself into the paper. The markings of a red butterfly's wings appeared around his eyes and he could hear HawkMoth speaking to him once more.

"Stoneheart, here is your second chance at revenge. And this time, it'll be easier. No one will be able to stop you from winning over the one you love. In return, I ask only one thing from you…bring me the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and all this power shall be yours forever!"

Ivan could feel his heart darkening once more. All of his wicked desires thriving him, pushing him further. Black ooze surrounded his body from head to toe, transforming him once again into Stoneheart.

All around Paris, the other Stonehearts awoke from their slumber. Their eyes glowing bright yellow like the sun, roaring and stomping their feet, causing the ground to quake. Police officers that had been guarding them immediately took action, pulling out their guns and nets, but no matter what they did the creatures seemed impenetrable.

Back in their classroom, Adrien continued looking back and forth from the teacher and Marinette. Thankfully, no one else noticed, not even his new friend Nino. He kept on studying her features, her hair, her nose, even her eyes. Her eyes were the clincher, he knew that much now.

The door of the classroom was suddenly ripped right off its hinges, with pieces of the wall along with it. Nino and the teacher ran out the hole in the wall. Once Nino saw Adrien wasn't moving, he took him by the arm and pulled him out. The boy looked back, seeing Marinette hide behind a desk, along with several other students, while the rest ran out with the teacher.

Stoneheart roared as he entered, frightening the teacher and students. Kim quickly hid underneath his desk, trembling in fear. He knew Stoneheart was after him. "MYLEEEENE!" Stoneheart roared, catching Kim by surprise. He wasn't looking for him, but Mylene instead. Kim might be a jerk sometimes but he was not without a heart. Mylene was an innocent, probably the most innocent student in class next to Rose, everyone knew that. Instead of feeling relief, he felt concern, as did everyone else.

The students all ran from the beast as he approached Mylene. He snatched her up and held her in his stone grip. "No, let me go, Ivan!" she cried out. She knew who this was, and she knew he would never harm anyone.

"I'm not Ivan, anymore!" the creature said, "I'm Stoneheart!"

"Why are you doing this?!"

"So we can be together forever!"

"Daddy! The monster! He's back!" Chloe screamed into her cellphone, desperately calling her father from under her desk. Chloe was a lot of things, but smart…wasn't always one of them. She screamed when Stoneheart tossed her desk aside and also took the blond in his grip, causing her to drop her phone in the process.

With both girls in hand, Stoneheart kicked a gigantic hole in the wall and jumped from the building, once again roaming the streets of Paris, only this time he had his own Stoneheart army at his side. This time, he was unstoppable.

Alya looked over the hole and then back at Marinette, who hid behind one of the desks that remained intact. "Come on! We have to follow them!"

"No, no! You go ahead." Marinette said, hiding behind the desk like a coward. "I'd rather stay here, where it's safe." she muttered the next sentence under her breath, _"And where I can't mess up."_

"But you're gonna miss Ladybug and Chat Noir in action!" Alya said, taking her phone into her hand.

Marinette noticed Alya's bag was still on her desk and tried giving it to her friend. "You and Ladybug, you'll make it out better without me."

"If that's what you want." Alya said before running out of the classroom, leaving her bag behind.

"Wait! You forgot your bag!" Marinette cried out and ran after her. Alya was the only one who could be Ladybug. Marinette was already cowering in fear once more. She couldn't risk endangering the city because of her cowardliness.

(~)

Adrien ran to the locker room and Plagg flew out. "Come on, we have to get Marinette!" Adrien said to his kwami.

"What?! Are you crazy? You saw that thing, it's only a matter of time before his army catches up with him!"

"But-"

"If you're right and she really is who you think she is, then she'll meet us there! She'll show up."

"I hope you're right. Plagg, Claws out!"

(~)

"I don't think you know who I am!" Chloe said to the stone monster, "My father is the mayor of Paris! You know what that means, don't you? He's gonna make the police take you down. The army. In short, the entire cavalry!"

"Let's not forget the superheroes!" a voice said from behind Stoneheart. Chat Noir came down from the rooftop and slammed his staff onto the creature's head, landing on the ground on his feet like the cat that he was. However, he quickly realized his stupidity once he saw Stoneheart increase in size. He had forgotten that little detail.

"Oops."

Chloe groaned in frustration, "More like the super incompetent!"

Stoneheart let out a mighty roar and the ground started to shake again, but Stoneheart himself remained perfectly still. Chat Noir saw the army of Stonehearts running towards their leader, bashing anything that was in their way. Before long, Chat Noir found himself cornered, a million stone golems against one little black cat. He did not like those odds.

"GET HIM!"

Upon their leader's command, the Stonehearts attacked, surrounding Chat Noir and tried to grab him. The slick hero managed to avoid each of their incoming attacks. He knew that if he tried to hit one of them they'd only get bigger and stronger. Stoneheart himself walked away from the scene, still carrying Chloe and Mylene with him.

"Where are you taking us?" Mylene asked the creature.

"I have a message to give to the city." Stoneheart replied. "Then, you and I will be together _forever!_ "

"Then, can you drop me here?" Chloe asked in a bored tone, "If it's just her you want then why take me?"

"Don't worry, little monster. I have plans for you as well." Stoneheart said with a growl, making Chloe quiver in his fist.

(~)

Without Ladybug, Chat Noir was stuck fighting the Stonehearts all on his own. Every time he tried to come up with a plan another Stoneheart came at him trying to smash him to bits. He leaped and landed on a lamppost, panting and catching his breath. He couldn't keep up this game of cat and mouse any longer, he had to come up with something, but what? His power could only destroy, and if he used his power at the wrong time he would time out. If Ladybug were here, she'd use her lucky charm to create something and think of a fast solution. She was such a quick thinker, while Chat couldn't even figure out what else to do now. Now that he really thought about it, Ladybug was one who really saved him the last time. He might have helped her in her time of fear, but she came through in the end. All Chat did was be a bodyguard, he couldn't fight these things on his own, the answer was pretty obvious.

For the first time, he felt…helpless.

Alya ran out into the scene, seeing Chat trying to fight the Stonehearts, or more like trying to avoid being squashed. She hid behind a trashcan and pulled out her phone and started recording the whole thing. "Where are you, Ladybug?" she asked as she continued recording.

Marinette finally reached the fight scene and saw her friend. She quickly rushed to her side, grabbing her arm. "Alya! We need to get out of here! It's not safe!" she spotted one of the Stonehearts lifting an empty car and throwing it at Chat Noir. He managed to avoid it, but now the car was aiming directly at Marinette and Alya.

"Look out!" Marinette cried out and pushed her friend right out of the way, only to trip in the process.

"Marinette!" Alya cried out. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion as the car aimed directly at her. Her eyes widened in fear as the car came in closer. She closed her eyes and shielded herself, embracing for the impact…which never came.

She hesitantly opened her eyes and saw Chat Noir, holding the car in place with his staff. With all of his might, he pushed the vehicle away, saving her. He spun his staff around and took a stance, protecting the innocent girl.

"Find a place to hide, I'll cover you!" he said, turning his head towards the person he had just saved…only to gaze into the same bluebell eyes he had already come to recognize.

Marinette looked at her rescuer in both surprise and awe. She had not expected to see her dashing hero again so soon, and now as her normal self instead of Ladybug. Even now, he still managed to make her heart flutter.

Chat Noir too was at a loss for words. She was right there, before him, but why wasn't she…?

The two awoke from their trance when Stonehearts began to roar. Instinctively, Chat Noir grabbed Marinette by the waist and hoisted the two of them up with his staff, landing them safely on the rooftop. Alya watched in awe at the cat superhero saving her friend, which was a tad peculiar. Still, she took her phone and ran from the scene, knowing that Marinette was with Chat Noir she would be alright, all they needed now was Ladybug.

Once they were safe from danger, Chat Noir gently placed Marinette down. She had her arms wrapped around his neck the entire time, and she still did. The two gazed into each other's eyes, still in surprise, and Marinette quickly steped away, blushing.

"Um, thank you for saving me." she said, stepping a few steps away, only to notice her hero taking in multiple deep breaths. "Are you okay?"

"No…I'm not." he confessed, his cat ears slightly dropping, "I don't know how much longer I can fight those blockheads by myself."

"But, you're Chat Noir. I've seen you in action, you're amazing!"

"Actually, that's not entirely true." he said, making Marinette even more confused. "The truth is, Ladybug is the real hero. Not me."

"What are you talking about?"

"She was the one who really knew how to stop Stoneheart the first time, I just followed her lead. She can capture the Akuma and turn that poor boy back to normal and create anything out of thin air, I can't! All I can do is wave a stick around, do a few circus tricks and break things in an instant. I can't even hit those guys or else they'll get bigger!" he hung his head in shame, his shoulders dropped as did his ears. "I can't do this without her."

Marinette could not believe what she was hearing. All this time, she thought she wouldn't be able to function without Chat Noir's emotional support but, as it turns out…he needed her just as much too. This couldn't be possible? She thought she would be doing Chat a favor by stepping aside, but here he was, saying he couldn't do this without her.

"Ladybug's the real hero." he said, "I'm not. I can't even fight these guys."

"That's not true!" Marinette exclaimed firmly, taking the young hero by surprise. "You're every bit of a hero as she is! So you destroy things and know how to work a staff, that's not what makes you so amazing. You're willing to risk your own life for others, even if there's a chance you'll lose. Sure, you might be outnumbered and even outmatched but you still stuck around to fight!…while I hid." she confessed. She hung her head as tears fell from her eyes. " _You're_ the true hero, Chat Noir. You're the brave one, you're the selfless one. Ladybug would just be holding you back."

The young girl covered her face with her hands and sobbed. She looked so weak in front of the hero, if this wouldn't convince him he was better off without her, she didn't know what else. To her surprise, Chat Noir placed his hands on her shoulders. He lifted her chin up to face him and wiped away a few of her tears with his thumb.

"You could _never_ hold me back." he said, making Marinette gasp, "I didn't exactly know what I was fighting for when I first put on the ring…but now I do. The question is, do you know?"

"H-How did…" before Marinette could finish her question, they heard the sound of more smashing coming from the distance. Chat looked back at Marinette. "Go." she said before giving him a kind smile, "You won't be alone this time, I promise." she said…only to be surprised when Chat Noir kissed her hand again.

"Neither will you." he said and leaped off to help whoever else was in trouble.

Marinette realized how foolish she had been. All this time, she thought she wasn't being a good enough Ladybug, but maybe that's because she thought she had to do this by herself. Which she didn't. She had never had someone she could trust to have her back in so long maybe she had started to think she couldn't have one. She didn't want Chat to be forced to be her partner, but as it turns out, he was more than happy to choose to be her partner. It didn't matter if they were predestined or not, if she had a choice she would pick him. He was her emotional support even i she didn't think she needed it, and he needed her just as much. Alone, they couldn't do anything, but together they could do anything. He believed in her, and she believed in him, now she had to believe in herself.

With determination in her eyes she took the octagon box out of Alya's bag and quickly put on the earrings. In a flash of red light, the red and black spotted kwami appeared before her human.

"Tikki, I need Ladybug!"

"I knew you'd come around!" the kwami said happily. She missed Marinette so much.

"I'm still not a hundred percent sure if I'm cut out for it, but Chat Noir needs me and so does the city. I'm not going to just whimper in a corner anymore! Tikki, Spots On!"

At her command, Tikki was immediately absorbed into Marinette's earrings, turning them red with five black spots. Unlike before, Marinette smiled confidently as her entire wardrobe changed into Ladybug. No longer did she feel afraid, because she knew she wouldn't be alone. She never was alone, it was time she stopped thinking she was.

Using her yo-yo she leaped across the rooftops, spotting Chat Noir fighting against the Stonehearts. One of which managed to knock him down on his back. A familiar yo-yo appeared and wrapped itself around his leg. The cat boy was pulled aside by Ladybug, who stood on a lamppost, saving him from being squashed again.

"Sorry for the delay." she said, "You know a girl takes her time to get dressed."

Chat Noir chuckled at her humor, "Seems I'm not the only one with a sense of humor." he said with a wink, making Ladybug giggle as well.

The Stonehearts roared once more and Ladybug hoisted? Chat Noir up to the nearest rooftop, with herself close behind. She untangled his leg and the two leaped over the rooftops together.

"I was afraid we'd never get to do this again!" he said as they jumped from one roof to the next. "But, what about the Stonehearts?"

"If we're going to stop them we have to focus on their leader. The first Stoneheart!"

"I think I know where he went! Follow me!" Chair Noir leaped ahead with Ladybug close behind. They flipped into the air simultaneously and landed on the ground, where they saw the lead Stoneheart…

Standing on the first platform of Eiffel Tower!

The police surrounded the perimeter while the other Stonehearts came at them, mindlessly following their leader, who roared his commands. Helicopters flew overhead, surrounding the beast, but they have yet to launch an attack. Among the numerous police cars stood the mayor, speaking into a megaphone at the creature.

"Monster! I demand you release my daughter this instant or face the consequences!"

"Daddy!" Chloe cried out, her loud shrieking nearly made Stoneheart go deaf. This girl was a nuisance already, why put up with her anymore?

"You know what? With pleasure!" Stoneheart launched the blond girl with all of his might, causing her to scream in terror as she hurtled to the ground. Her father screamed in terror and ran as fast as he could to save her, but no doubt he would come too late.

As she fell, Chloe pressed her hands together, praying for mercy. "Please, if I get out of this alive, I'll change! I'll be nice to everyone, I swea-" before she could finish, Chloe suddenly found herself being rescued by none other than Ladybug, who came to a screeching halt and catching Chloe before she hit the ground. The blond blinked in surprise. She was alive. "I didn't swear." she said in relief.

"What?" Ladybug asked, arching an eyebrow. She placed Chloe back safety on the ground just as her father arrived. The mayor hugged his daughter tightly.

"Oh, my little princess! You're safe!"

Chat landed beside Ladybug, smiling proudly. One of the police officers standing on top of the police car, giving the command to the swat team. "We can give the assault!" he cried out. Now that the mayor's daughter was safe they could destroy the beast without hesitation.

"No, wait!" Ladybug called out, holding her hands up in protest. "Don't attack him! You'll only make things worse!"

"Step aside, young lady!"

"Please, you don't understand. We can help him!"

"The last time you helped anyone more monsters showed up!" the officer cried out, pointing an accusing finger at her and Chat Noir. "We don't need you super freaks around with your freaky monster following you everywhere! You and cat boy already failed!"

Ladybug stepped back at the man's words, only to have Chat Noir place a hand on her shoulder. "He's not wrong." she said. "If I had captured Stoneheart's Akuma this would all be over!" she covered her face once more in shame, "This is exactly what I meant before. Even when I try I keep messing up!"

Chat Noir placed his hand on her shoulder, "You're think you're the only one who messes up? I was the one who used my Cataclysm attack without thinking it through, and I couldn't handle those Stonehearts by myself. We're both new to all of this, but the only time when we do fail is when we stop trying."

Ladybug groaned in frustration, "See, this is exactly what I mean! You always know just what to say!"

"And you know just what to do in a tight situation, I don't!"

"I'm not always as brave you think!"

"Oh, really? Look behind you!" Chat turned his head towards Chloe and her father, still wrapped in a loving father/daughter embrace, "If it wasn't for you that girl wouldn't even be here anymore." he placed both hands on her shoulder, looking straight into her eyes, speaking with such courage and kindness. "They won't be able to defeat Stoneheart without us, and I can't do this alone….I _refuse_ to do this alone. I trust you to have my back, do you trust me to have yours?"

Ladybug was right, Chat did always know what to say…maybe that was what made them such a good team to begin with. He was her inspiration and she was his, even if she was scared at times, and even when Chat didn't always know what to do in a tight spot like she did. They really were the perfect partners, balancing each other out both in power, motivation and overall dynamic.

Just like Yin and Yang.-

Ladybug only clenched her fists, not in anger but in determination. Her blue eyes sparkled with determination and she smiled. That was the only reply Chat Noir needed.

Stoneheart started roaring once again, only this time he sounded almost as if he were choking on something. He let out a powerful roar, stronger than all the previous ones, and a swarm of black butterflies flew out from his mouth, taking on the form of a man's head. Stoneheart felt ill and collapsed to the ground as the swarm of Akumas hovered over the city, frightening the citizens. The Akumas formed a mouth and eyes and the head began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Paris, listen carefully. I am HawkMoth!"

"HawkMoth?!" Ladybug and Chat Noir repeated, both arching an eyebrow. What kind of name was that? Was he half Moth and half Hawk? And the Akumas were butterflies, not moths, what sense did that make?

"I have a message for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Give me your Miraculous, the ladybug's earrings and the black cat's ring. If you do, everything will return to normal. I believe the good people of this city have suffered enough thanks to you."

"Nice try, HawkMoth." Ladybug said as she walked closer to the giant floating head of Akumas. For the first time, she showed no signs of fear or insecurity. This creature did not scare her. Not anymore.

"I've seen this trick before. You play the innocent card to try and win everyone's trust, when really you're just twisting the truth to get what you want. An effective effort, I'll admit, but not this time. We all know who the real super villain is. I know for a fact that you're the one who transformed all these innocent people into monsters!"

While the rest of the people watched in awe, Chat Noir smiled proudly at his lady standing up to this creature. He'd do it too, but this was really her moment. She needed to believe she could be as brave as he knew she was.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Ladybug exclaimed powerfully, "I don't care how long it takes, Chat Noir and I will find you. And once we do, you'll be the one who will be giving us your Miraculous!"

Swinging her yo-yo, Ladybug ran towards the Eiffel Tower, leaping up high into the air, coming face to face with her yo-yo, tossing it directly at the Akumas. The yo-yo opened up, releasing a sparkling pink aura which caught each Akuma within it. One by one, she snatched the insects into her yo-yo so fast the people could barely keep up with her. Once she caught the last butterfly she landed on the platform, catching her breath before turning to the people.

"Starting today, I am making a promise to you all! No matter what new dangers arise in this city, Ladybug and Chat Noir will do everything in their power to serve and protect you, until HawkMoth is defeated for good!"

Ladybug slid her finger over the top of her yo-yo, which caused it to slide open and tossed it into the air, releasing a gorgeous swarm of shimmering white butterflies that flew all around the city in a stunning pattern. A few even flew around Chat Noir, one even landing on his nose before flying away. It was a sight unlike anything anyone had ever seen, even the people watching the news from their homes could see it. Alya stood before a store of television sets and saw the whole thing. She cheered victoriously for Ladybug. She knew she could do it.

Chloe jumped on her father's back, the two cheering for their newest heroine, while Chat Noir stared in awe.

"Wow. I knew she had it in her but…wow!"

But, not everyone was happy for the new heroes, for HawkMoth clenched his fists so tightly his fingernails nearly tore his gloves. "That's the problem with superheroes! They're so…heroic! It makes me sick!"

His plan wasn't over yet, there was still Stoneheart. He immediately got connected with his minion, via telepathy and spoke to him. "Stoneheart, they're going to try and tear your loved one away from you! Stop them by taking their Miraculous! After that, they won't be able to stop you!"

"Yes, HawkMoth!" Stoneheart said as he stood back up, with Mylene still in his grasp.

"Help! Help me!" Mylene cried out. The two heroes heard her and jumped right in front of Stoneheart.

"You will never take Mylene from me!" he roared before jumping one, causing the ground to shake and Ladybug and Chat Noir to lose their balance. Stoneheart began climbing up the tower, with his stonehearts close behind and Mylene still screaming for help.

From the platform, Chat Noir gasped when he saw the stone men climbing up the tower. "They're coming!" he said to his partner, "We already know we can't hit them!"

"I know. But, we know where his Akuma is."

"Right, in his closed fist. The one holding Mylene. So, how are we gonna separate them?" he asked.

"It won't be easy seeing as Stoneheart's in love with her." Ladybug said. Then, the memory from her and Chat's night at the Eiffel tower replayed in her mind. The moment when they both reach for the railing at the same time and jerked back from embarrassment. She had an idea.

"Of course! We don't have to separate them! On the contrary, we have to bring them closer together!

"How much closer than they already are?"

"Lets just say, our little outing last night gave me an idea. Follow my lead!" she said before leaping up to climb the tower.

"I'm still not following, but I trust you." he said before following her example and climbed up the tower, just like they did last night.

Ladybug lifted herself up to the very tip of the Eiffel Tower, where she saw Stoneheart only a few feet below, he was already halfway to the top, with Mylene still screaming in terror.

"Help! I'm scared of heights!"

"Don't worry, everything will be alright!" Ladybug called out from above, "I hope." she said to herself. This was a long shot, but it was their best bet right now.

Stoneheart let out another roar, causing the helicopters to back away from the sound. Chat Noir covered his ears, though it didn't help he now had an extra pair of ears and he couldn't cover his cat ones. Sadly.

The stone men finally reached the top and Chat Noir pulled out his staff to fight them off as best he could. "Ready when you are, My Lady!" he called out to his partner, who smiled at his pet name for her. She could really get used to hearing that.

She pulled out her yo-yo and called out, "Lucky Charm!" just like before, a ray of sparkly red hearts swarmed above her, manifesting into a solid object which landed on her hand. The object was round and red with black spots.

"A parachute?" she groaned in frustration, "Why is this magic stuff so confusing?" she asked, only to hear her partner screaming as he was hurled into the air by the stone men. He managed to flip on one of the railings, and black flipped back in place.

"Any creative ideas yet?" he asked.

"Well, let's see!" Ladybug adjusted the parachute and put her plan into motion. She unleashed her yo-yo and wrapped it around Stoneheart's fist, the one where he still held Mylene, and his head. She held the end of the yo-yo and the object itself like the reigns of a horse and turned to her partner.

"Chat Noir, get ready!" she said and pulled on the string, which in turn caused Stoneheart's fist to come closer to his face, causing Mylene's lips to collide against his gigantic stone mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise as did Stoneheart's, feeling flustered.

Just as Ladybug had anticipated, the shock caused Stoneheart to quickly react in shock, releasing Mylene from his fist as well as the purple piece of paper he was holding. Mylene managed to grab hold of one of Stoneheart's large fingers while the object containing the Akuma fell.

Seeing his chance, Chat Noir leaped down, using his staff to push him farther towards the purple object. Using his staff like a baseball bat, he hit the object, sending it flying towards Ladybug. Chat Noir stuck the tip of his staff to the side of the tower, saving him from falling further down. Ladybug caught the purple object with her yo-yo and broke it, releasing the Akuma. This time, she wouldn't make the same mistake.

"You've done enough harm, little Akuma!" she opened up her yo-yo, which emitted pink sparkles, and hurtled it towards the black insect, trapping it inside. Once done, she opened her yo-yo once again, releasing a tiny white butterfly into the sky. But once the Akuma was purified, Ivan reverted back to normal. His stone form disappearing in a batch of black smoke and now he and Mylene were falling to their deaths.

The two heroes acted fast, simultaneously reaching out to save the two civilians. Ladybug hurled her yo-yo and wrapped it around Mylene, pulling her back and pulling on her parachute, while Chat Noir bounced off of his staff while crying out, "Cataclysm!" using his power, he jumped up and touched the side of the Eiffel Tower, peeling off a beam and sliding on it, he grabbed Ivan by the shirt while dangling.

Ladybug sighed in relief as she and Mylene descended softly. "It's okay, you're safe now." as they descended, Chat Noir smiled proudly. Using his strength, he hoisted Ivan onto his back and climbed down, but not before getting his staff back, which he then used as an elevator to lower them both down. Ivan was still shaken from the experience so Chat Noir wrapped his arm around his shoulder to help the poor boy.

Ladybug and Mylene landed safely down, only for the parachute to suddenly start glowing a bright pinkish red. Ladybug felt it burn a bit and instinctively tossed it into the air, where it glowed brighter, releasing a faint pink ring across the sky and dispersed into bright little ladybugsthat sparkled and swarm all around the city. They traveled far and wide, swarming around all of the damages caused by Stoneheart. All of the stone men reverted back to normal, with no memory of what happened.

The two heroes and civilians watched in wonder as the ladybugs flew all around in a dazzling display unlike anything they had ever seen.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Chat Noir asked as he marveled at the lovely ladybugs flying all around.

"Yeah!" Ladybug said with an excited giggle, "It's marvelous! It's incredible! It's… _Miraculous!_ "

(~)

HawkMoth angrily stomped his foot, causing all the butterflies around him to flutter upwards in fear. All of his plans had been foiled by a couple of wide-eyed teenagers with magical jewels. But, he refused to give up so easily. He did not come this far just to hand in the towel.

"This is only the beginning, Ladybug and Chat Noir. You may have won the battle, but I _will_ win the war! One day, I will have your Miraculous, and the ultimate power will be mine. And my greatest wish will _finally come true!_ "

That was not only a warning…that was a promise.

(~)

Once all had cleared up, the sparkling ladybugs disappearing, leaving behind only faint pink sparkles falling gently like snow, Ladybug knew there was some unfinished business to attend to.

"I believe Ivan has something he wants to say to you, Mylene." she said, placing a hand on Ivan's shoulder. The boy immediately became flustered and tongue tied. Ladybug pulled out the piece of paper Ivan had crumbled up before, which was what the Akuma had possessed in order to turn him. "Maybe you should read the lyrics of his song." she said and gave the shorter girl the lyric sheet before walking away, leaving the two alone.

A smile grew on Mylene's face as she read, her cheeks turning bright pink. "Awww, Ivan. This is so sweet, I had no idea you could be so poetic."

Ivan blushed at the compliment, "You really like it?"

"I love it! I guess it was a bit hard for me to understand when you were yelling, er, I mean, singing."

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's okay, I know how much you like heavy metal music."

"I'll sing more calmly next time. Promise." Ivan said, making Mylene blush even harder. To think, he went through all this trouble just to tell her how he felt. She didn't think Ivan liked her, but he did. She was so happy she just went in and hugged him, making the boy's face became as red as a tomato.

The two heroes watched the scene, and Ladybug sighed. "Awww!"

"You were right. They really are good together." Chat said, smiling at Ladybug. Now it was her turn to blush. "Seriously, how do you come up with such clever as a whip ideas?"

"I guess I get it from my sister. She always knew just what to do in any situation."

"I bet if she saw you now, she'd be really proud of you." he said…only to be taken off guard when Ladybug surprised him with a hug.

"Thank you for not giving up on me." she said into his ear, which send shivers down his spine. Chat wrapped his arms around her waist, taking in the sweet aroma of her hair. Once they parted, Ladybug rested her hands against his shoulders while his arms were still wrapped around her waist. Even if Ladybug did come up with the idea, she never would have had the courage to do so if not for Chat's support, and Chat might be strong but he wouldn't have come up with a brilliant idea all on his own. He wasn't always used to doing so many things on his own, but he was eager to start learning how. And with someone as smart as Ladybug, he knew he would get there, and Ladybug knew she could face any danger because she wouldn't be doing it alone. It didn't matter if it was destiny or not, if they could restart all over again, they'd choose each other to be their respected partners in crime. More than just partners, they were friends…and maybe…-

As the two gazed into each others eyes once more, all of Marinette's doubts and fears went away as their lips moved in closer and closer, their eyes closing…

The sound of beeping from Chat's ring and Lady's earrings snapped them awake. Chat looked at his ring and Ladybug stepped away, pressing her fingers against her earrings.

Both teens sighed in frustration. "Seriously?!"

"I guess we should go, then." Ladybug said sadly.

"Yeah. I guess." Chat Noir hesitantly agreed before a smile appeared on his face. He took her hand and, once again, kissed it. "I'll catch you next time, My Lady." he said with a wink.

"That you will." Ladybug said, removing her hand from his and ruffling his blond hair before throwing her yo-yo into the air and hoisting herself away from the scene and she and Chat Noir went their separate ways.

For now.

(~)


	7. A New Beginning

**A New Beginning**

The next day, Marinette arrived at school, where she was nearly tackled her when Alya came rushing and hugged her tightly.

"Marinette! Thank goodness, I thought after yesterday you weren't gonna show up."

"I'm fine, Alya. Thanks for checking up on me, yesterday." she replied, hugging her friend in return.

"Girl, you missed the whole thing! Ladybug was incredible! I saw the whole thing on T.V., but when I rushed to get to the Eiffel Tower to at least get another glimpse, they were gone!"

"Yeah, well Ladybug and Chat Noir are pretty fast, I hear."

"Speaking of which, you didn't tell me, what was Chat like?"

"I already told you, he took me somewhere I'd be safe."

"Yeah, but you didn't give me the details! Come on, spill it! It's not everyday you get rescued by a superhero."

Marinette smiled as she tried to find the best words to describe Chat Noir. But really, there was no one word to best describe him. "Chat Noir is…one of a kind." she said with a cheeky grin, which made Alya gasp.

"No…way! You have a crush on Chat Noir! Don't deny it, it's written all over your face!"

"Alya, stop it!" Marinette shoved her friend aside as they walked into school together.

"Relax, I won't tell anyone. Though, I should warn you, I think you might have some competition." she said, pointing her thumb to a couple of girls who already had pictures of Chat Noir from the news in their hands, squealing like the school girls they were.

Marinette only rolled her eyes. "I think I can handle it." she said.

"Wow! Where did all of this new confidence come from?"

"I figured, new school, new city, new life…might as well embrace it."

Alya blinked in surprise, "Okay, either you drank some kind of power boost vitamin this morning, or crushing on a superhero's gotten you in a tizzy."

Marinette decided to humor her a bit by leaning against a wall, placing her hand on her forehead in a dramatic fashion, pretending to swoon. "You're right! I'm head over heels!"

"Ha, ha, very funny. Wait a second, this might actually work!" Alya said excitedly, "If you ever run into Chat Noir again that means you'll get to meet Ladybug, and if you meet Ladybug then I can get an exclusive interview for my blog!"

"Well, I can't wait to see that."

"Oh, even better! I'm gonna find out who's hiding behind her mask!"

Marinette's eyes widened a bit as the two walked to class. "Yeah, good luck with that one." she said. She made sure to watch her back whenever Alya was around when another Akuma attack ever arose.

(~)

Adrien hung his head, his back pressed against his car seat, listening to his father, once again, scowling at his son from the screen of the ipad via video chat. "Adrien, you disobeyed me. Twice!"

"I know, dad." the boy said sadly.

"And you know I cannot tolerate such rebellious behavior."

"I know, dad."

"Now, you see this school?" he said, and Adrien turned his head to look at the high school he had snuck off to twice already. He knew his father only asked Gorilla to drive him there as a way to punish his son, because he knew he would never got back to this place again. To never attend normal classes, to never see his new friend Nino again…to never see her outside of his new double life, again. He wouldn't even get a chance to show her who he really was. He had already found out who she was, now he wanted her to know who he was. He just hoped she wouldn't be disappointed.

"Yes, dad." Adrien replied sadly. "I see it."

"Good. Because you will never, _ever_ go back there again…without your bodyguard."

Adrien gasped. Did he hear correctly?

"He will drop you off and pick you up, every day." Gabriel said. Adrien didn't even care how silly he looked, he smiled like a happy child on Christmas morning opening up presents!

"Nathalie proposed organizing your new schedule." Gabriel said. "You will continue your music, Chinese, and fencing classes, and of course, the photoshoots."

Adrien looked over at Nathalie beside him. She sat there with a monotone expression, but Adrien knew she had done this because she genuinely cared about the boy. She might not show it much, and she might not be the most emotionally expressive person, but he knew she did not have a heart of stone.

"Thank you, Nathalie. Thank you, Father!" Adrien swung the car door open and dashed out like a happy little child. Even if he didn't see it, Nathalie did crack a small smile.

(~)

Once they entered the classroom, Marinette and Alya were about to take their seats, until Mari stopped on her tracks. "No, wait a second." she said.

Alya watched in surprise as Marinette sat down in Chloe's seat. "What are you doing?"

"Is there any rule that says students need to stay in the same seat every year?"

"No, not really. I mean, it's not a strict rule at least."

"I picked this seat when I first got here, so this is where I'll stay." she scooted over a bit, opening a spot for her friend. "And you."

Alya smiled and the two new friends placed their respected bags onto the table and sat down, giving each other a fist pump in victory.

"What do you two losers think you're doing?!" Chloe asked angrily once she and Sabrina walked into the classroom, seeing Marinette and Alya in their spots. "You're in the wrong seats! Go sit somewhere else!"

"Yeah…no." Marinette said, this time not backing down.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me." Marinette stood from her seat and faced the blond head on. "You've had your fun, you've had your laugh, but I'm not someone you can just push around. Not me, or anyone else in this class! If you need somewhere to sit, there's a perfectly good desk over there." she pointed towards her's and Alya's former desk and placed a hand on her hips, "As we say in New York; _"Tough break, sweetheart!"_." she said, using a New York accent for effect, which only made Chloe even angrier.

The rest of the students laughed and Chloe and Sabrina hesitantly sat on that desk. Chloe may act tough, but she wouldn't dare break a nail by fighting. That, and she was secretly scared of fighting anyway, but she would never admit to that.

Marinette sighed in satisfaction as she sat down on her new seat. She never knew standing up for herself could feel this good. After facing an army of stone monsters, and her own insecurities, Chloe was as scary as a worm on a hook.

"Well played!" Alya said, smiling proudly.

Adrien walked into class as well, taking in the sweet classroom air. He and Nino greeted one another and Adrien's spirits lit up the moment he saw Marinette. He waved happily at her but, to his disappointment, she did not wave back. She didn't look particularly upset, but rather unsure if to say hello or not. He had forgotten, she still didn't know _who_ he was, just _what_ he was. He couldn't fault her for that though.

Adrien sighed sadly as he sat down. Nino placed his elbows on the desk and rested his chin on his knuckles. "You know, if you want to make friends, you should talk to Marinette. Explain to her what really happened. You know, about the gum."

"But what if she doesn't believe me?" Adrien asked with worry.

"Just speak the truth. Keep it real, dude!"

"Keep it real…" Adrien whispered to himself. He smiled at his new friend. "Thanks, Nino."

(~)

School was over and everyone was well on their way home. Adrien walked out, noticing the cloudy skies and pouring rain. Thankfully, the school always had extra umbrellas handy in case of such unexpected weather and the students didn't bring their own. Sadly, half of the umbrellas were already gone so only two remained. Adrien choose one, but once he tried to open it, it got stuck. He strained to open it, which caused it to break. Now it couldn't even stay open. He reached to pick another, but stopped when someone else beat him to it.

It was Marinette.

For a moment, Adrien froze in place. The girl didn't say a word, she just stared at him with a stoic expression. Her eyes fell on his broken umbrella. He was half expecting her to say he deserved it, but she didn't.

In all honesty, Marinette didn't know what to say. Thinking it over, Marinette wondered if she had judged this boy too harshly after the gum incident yesterday. Chat Noir himself taught her that one must first see _who_ a person is instead of _what_ they are. She was just unsure. Besides, she really didn't know this boy, would it be such a loss if she didn't befriend him? She already had Alya, Tikki and Chat Noir, so would it be such a loss?

"Hey." Adrien greeted, waving his hand, but Marinette still didn't respond. She opened her umbrella and prepared to leave.

"You're from New York, right?" he asked, making Marinette stop on her tracks. She kept her back turned.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"New York. What's it like there?"

Marinette was surprised he would ask her such a question, and so out of the blue like that. "It's…alright." she replied, a tad hesitantly. Chat Noir asked her the same question the other night. "It's big and loud. Mostly loud."

"What about Time Square? Is it cool?"

Marinette was practically frozen in place right now. She was experiencing a serious case of deja vu right now. "Really cool." she replied, still keeping her back to him. "Especially on New Year's Eve."

"I hear it's like madness. But the good kind." Adrien said. This time, Marinette turned her head to look at him, but still kept her back turned. "I really was trying to get the gum off of your seat, honest. I've never went to school before, or had any real friends. This is all so new to me too. And I know it can be a bit hard to trust people when you've been hurt by them. I'm sorry I hurt your trust."

Marinette turned her head away, her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry I acted like a jerk. I shouldn't have judged you so quickly."

"I don't blame you. I know rich kids like me don't have the best reputation."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you?..." Marinette said as she finally turned around to face him…while handing him her umbrella.

Adrien was stunned as he looked at the umbrella and then back at Marinette, who smiled. She had the exact same smile, and her eyes sparkled undoubtedly the exact same way they did that night on top of the Eiffel Tower.

"It's not about _what_ you are, it's _who_ you are." she said. Thunder roared in the far distance at just the right moment.

The two stood there, listening to the sound of the falling rain as Marinette waited for Adrien to take the umbrella. He reached out his hand, trembling a bit, but managed to take the handle. He didn't expect to feel so stunned by this moment. His heart was beating hard against his chest and his muscles didn't respond. His thumb slipped and the umbrella closed over his head.

Marinette gasped a bit at the unexpected surprise and lifted the umbrella to see Adrien underneath it, the dark material casting a shadow around his eyes, almost like a mask, making his forest green eyes stand out. He smiled shyly, his cheeks red in embarrassment.

Marinette started to laugh as she helped open up the umbrella further. Adrien beamed, listening to her laughter before bursting out himself. The two laughed in perfect sync until they heard the sound of a car horn. Adrien's limo driver had arrived. Marinette let out one last adorable giggle and smiled at the blond.

"Au Revoir, Adrien. See you tomorrow." she said, in a surprisingly flirty tone before walking down the stairs, leaving Adrien to stare wide-eyed and weak-kneed.

"Yeah, see you to…see you soonday, well no, see you when-I mean…" the poor boy groaned in frustration as he face palmed himself and Plagg flew out of his hiding place.

"Seriously?" the kwami shook his head, "You're a hopeless boy, you know that?" he said, but Adrien was too busy smiling at what had just happened.

Marinette turned a corner, looking back for a moment to see Adrien enter his car. Tikki poked her head from Mari's bag. "I don't believe it!" she said.

"Like I said…he really is one of a kind." she said, smiling to herself as she walked home, not caring about the rain. It was actually quite refreshing. "Besides, I'd recognize that laugh anywhere."

As the two children went their separate ways, a familiar stranger watched from afar, holding his own umbrella, with his kwami resting on his shoulder.

"Excellent choice, Master." Wayzz said, bowing in respect as Master Fu stroked his beard.

"Those two were made for each other." he voiced out.

"It will be a tough journey ahead of them." Wayzz said. "I just hope they will be up for the challenge."

"Wayzz, do you remember _Matthew 10:16-20_ , by any chance?"

The kwami nodded his head and recited the verse. _"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles._ __ _But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,_ __ _for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."_

"I believe they will be just fine. Especially, Marinette." Master Fu said…as he pulled out a hair comb, painted gold with a bee ornament.

"Just like her sister was."

(~)


	8. Epilogue

_Five weeks later…_

The Champ de Mars was bursting with color, neon lights illuminated the night sky as crowds of people gathered for the concert. Up on the rooftops, two young heroes landed on the nearest one, overlooking the concert area.

"See? I told you we'd get here on time." Ladybug said as her partner landed beside her, crouching down on all fours. Her yo-yo was still wrapped around the side of the chimney, which she used as a base in order for her to land on the roof. "There was no need to get your tail in a twist."

"My bad, I was just worried you'd get the streets confused…again." Chat Noir said with a cheeky grin. Ladybug yanked on her yo-yo, which got untangled and hit Adrien right in his head. "Ow!"

"Oops. Sorry." the girl said, smiling proudly to herself.

Chat only laughed, "Sly little bug."

"Silly kitty."

"Come on, you know you're lucky to have me around."

"Do I know that?…Yes. Yes I do." she smiled before leaping over the building, leaving the boy to chuckle to himself before following her.

People were already jumping and cheering as loudly as they could, impatiently waiting for the show to start. Alya and Nino were among the crowd, waiting for their friends. The two smiled once they saw them approach.

"Marinette!"

"Adrien, dude!"

"What kept you guys?" Alya asked, "The show's about to start!"

"We took a shortcut." Marinette said, smiling at her blond companion. The two winked at one another, which made their respected friends look at them in suspicion.

Alya took Marinette aside and whispered, "Okay, is there something going on between you and Adrien that I don't know about?" she asked.

Marinette only shook her head while smiling calmly, "We're just friends, Alya.." she replied.

Nino also began interrogating Adrien, "Come on, man! You've got to tell me!"

"There's nothing to tell." Adrien replied, "Marinette and I, we…just found out we have a lot in common, that's all."

"Fine. Don't tell me." both Alya and Nino said simultaneously to their friends, already giving up. If these two didn't want to say anything, that was their choice. But one way or another, they would find out.

The lights dimmed a bit and spotlight shown on the stage, causing the audience to scream and cheer as loudly as they could. Marinette, Alya, Adrien and Nino were jumping and cheering as loudly as they ever could.

"Thanks for inviting me, you guys." Adrien said, "My very first concert! Woohoo!" he screamed, jumping up and down like a little kid, which only made Marinette giggle and roll her eyes at his dorkiness.

A tall man with pale skin, dark spiky hair and bright orange colored eyes, wearing a red jacket over a white shirt, black pants, biker boots and a red scarf walked up on stage, tapping on his microphone before addressing to the audience, "Good evening, everybody! Are you ready to rock?!" he asked, and the crowd cheered loudly, "I said: _Are you ready to rock?!_ " he repeated, which prompted the audience to cheer even louder than before, with Adrien possibly cheering the loudest. "That's more like it! Straight from California, give it up for… _EG!_ "

The man walked off of the stage and the lights began to flash in a variety of colors. Steam filled the stage and seven female singers appeared on stage. Each one wore an outfit that represented their distinct personalities.

One had her hair dyed light pink and mostly wore yellow, pink and aquamarine colors, with images of butterflies as well as butterfly wing markings around her eyes.

Another had her hair dyed a bright purple, curled and decorated with diamond clippings and images of diamonds on her outfit, along with diamond stickers around her eyes. Her clothes consisted of whites, blues and purples.

Another singer's hair was entirely blond, styled in a low ponytail, dressed in more country inspired attire with apple prints, and even apple markings around her eyes, while wearing a bedazzled red cowgirl hat. Her color scheme was more yellow, green and red.

One singer had her hair dyed entirely with all seven colors of the rainbow, and wearing multiple colors on her clothing, with images of lightning bolts on her shorts, jacket and eyes.

One singer appeared the most excitable, jumping as high and as enthusiastically as the crowd. Her hair was curly and dyed hot pink with pink and blue balloons on her cloths and sticker on her cheek. Her color scheme was mostly pink with blue and yellow.

Another singer, with slight tan skin, wore mostly purple with a dash of blue, her hair was midnight blue with purple and magenta streaks and edgy bangs. Around her eyes she had sparkles and six-inch stars around her cloths, and even a flame-like marking on her arm.

The final singer appeared to be both the leader and the oldest. She looked very athletic and exotic, with dark skin and long dark brown hair, streaked with blue, light grayish blue and aquamarine. She mostly had blue hearts and her color scheme was mostly blue, white and aquamarine with a mask of dark blue. Her long hair was styled into a "princess jasmine" ponytail that fell gracefully against her back.

Each one of the singers wore a sash around their waists that moved gracefully beside their legs like tails. Each one matched the color of their hair.

"Bonjour, Paris!" the leader said to the audience, making them cheer. "Put your hands up, come on!" the music played and the lead singer opened her mouth. She belted it out in the most enchantingly clear voice anyone had ever heard.

 _I messed up tonight_

 _I lost another fight_

 _I still mess up but I'll just start again_

 _I keep falling down_

 _I keep on hitting the ground_

 _But I always get up to see what's next_

As the singers performed, Marinette took a moment to reflect on the lyrics. She still found it rather hard to believe that after five whole weeks she was Paris's newest hero. Her and Chat Noir, and she was astonished at how quickly she managed to get used to the idea of her being Ladybug. Though, keeping it a secret was a tad hard, especially around her parents and school. Thankfully, she had two new friends with whom to share her secret with.

 _Birds don't just fly_

 _They fall down and get up_

 _Nobody learns without getting it wrong_

Adrien smiled at Marinette, who danced beside him. For the first time in so many years, he felt like a normal kid with friends who went to school and concerts. Though, not everything about him was normal. He was the city's newest hero along with Ladybug. He still had a lot to learn about being a hero, but he was thankful he had someone as down to earth as Ladybug to help remind him of that.

And Marinette was lucky to have someone as kind and supportive as Chat Noir to be there for her when she needed him. She couldn't have made it this far without his help, and Adrien felt the same way.

 _I won't' give up!_

 _No, I won't give in till I reach the end_

 _Then I'll start again_

 _No, I won't leave_

 _I wanna try everything_

 _I wanna try even though I could fail_

As the song played on, Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette, hugging her. Marinette was so lucky to have a new friend like Alya. She knew she was the kind to have her back when she needed her. Adrien and Nino gave each other a high five. These two were already becoming as close as brother, which was such a wonderful experience for Adrien, having grown up an only child.

 _I won't' give up!_

 _No, I won't give in till I reach the end_

 _Then I'll start again_

 _Though I'm on the lead_

 _I wanna try everything_

 _I wanna try even though I could fail_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

"Put your hands in the air, come on! That's it, ya'll!" the country dressed singer said to the audience, getting them to clap along with her. She sang alongside the purple haired girl with diamonds and the rainbow haired singer.

 _Look how far you've come_

 _You've filled your heart with love_

 _Baby, you've done enough, take a deep breath_

 _Don't beat yourself up_

 _Don't need to run so fast_

 _Sometimes we come last but we did our best_

From afar, Chloe growled angrily as she watched Adrien dancing with Marinette. She had asked him to be her date to the concert many times, but he kept on declining her offer, saying he was going with his friends. She was so furious she started biting on a magazine, which ironically enough, had a picture of Chat Noir and Ladybug on the cover. Sabrina tried fanning her friend with another magazine to calm her down.

 _I won't give up!_

 _No, I won't give in till I reach the end_

 _Then I'll start again_

 _No, I won't leave_

 _I wanna try everything_

 _I wanna try even though I could fail_

From his home, Master Fu watched the concert live on television. He tried dancing to the song, lip singing while using a feather duster, but his elderly bones soon caught up to him and he had to stop. He laughed it off while Wayzz only shook his head. This old man should have gained a Mule Miraculous, because he sure could be stubborn like one sometimes.

 _I won't give up!_

 _No, I won't give in till I reach the end_

 _Then I'll start again_

 _Though I'm on the lead_

 _I wanna try everything_

 _I wanna try even though I could fail_

From the Eiffel Tower, the kwamis danced to the music. A big bowl of popcorn stood beside them on the platform for Plagg, and cotton candy for Tikki. The two danced and shared their snacks with one another. Tikki even came up with the idea to wrap a piece of cotton candy around a single popcorn. Plagg hummed at the delicious blend between sweet and salty. He would be sure to tell Adrien about this little snack idea the next time they went out. It was almost as good as camembert.

 _I'll keep on making those new mistakes_

 _I'll keep on making them_

 _Everyday!_

 _Those new mistakes_

As Adrien and Marinette danced, the girl lost her balance for a moment, prompting Adrien to catch her before she fell. His hands caught her waist and her arms caught his shoulders. Their position made several believe he had just dipped her. The two remained in that position for a few more moments, gazing into each other's eyes. Marinette was the first to break the moment when she playfully ruffled Adrien's perfect hair and he released her. The two laughed it off while the boy fixed his hair and Marinette continued dancing as if nothing had happened. Even if they both know it did…which they didn't mind.

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

"Up on your feet, now! _C'est tout!"_ The seven dancers danced in sync, clapping their hands, inviting the audience to dance with them. The rainbow haired one marched across the stage, extending her hand, giving out high fives, even some for Marinette and Adrien.

 _I'll keep on making those new mistakes_

 _I'll keep on making them_

 _Everyday!_

 _Those new mistakes_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

 _Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

Tikki and Plagg returned to their respected humans, making sure not to be seen by anyone else and the two snuck away together once it was time to leave. Their laughter echoed across the night sky as they jumped across rooftops, embracing their new powers, their new roles and the many adventures that awaited them. They didn't know what would happen later on, or how or when they would find HawkMoth and put a stop to his villainous deeds once and for all, but one thing was certain…

That no matter how crazy things got, no matter how scared or unsure one of them ever felt, they knew they would have each others back. And they always will. That was a promise they made, even if no words were spoken that night as they stood high overlooking the city. The city they swore to protect, and the mysteries waiting to be uncovered. This was only the beginning….

Of the Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

 _Try Everything…_

… _._

 ***(~)***

 _ **John 16:32-33~**_

 _Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."_

*(~)*

 **Yes, the song is from Zootopia, sung by Shakira. I don't own the rights to the song, it belongs to their rightful owners, this is purely for fun and not for profit. The lyrics just matched perfectly with the overall tone and message of the story.**

 **So, that was my first Ladybug fanfiction, and so far I am very proud of it. I would like to thank my new friend Mariah for proofreading the chapters. The previous ones will be proofread too, I promise. Thank you so much for reading you guys and hope to see you all again soon.**


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